⚡ Fare recorded April 25, 2026 · Prices change daily

London to Istanbul flights

London (LHR) to Istanbul (IST): 1,546 miles (2,487 km) great-circle, about 3h 35m nonstop by our estimate. Cheapest fare observed: $236 round-trip on British Airways, nonstop, departing May 9, 2026.

BABritish AirwaysBA720
Depart
LHR
London, United Kingdom
18:30
2026-05-09
✈
Arrive
IST
Istanbul, Türkiye
Returns 19:00
2026-05-11
Stops
non-stop
Distance
1,546 mi
Est. nonstop time
3h 35m
Trip type
Round-trip
$236
Round-trip · per person
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About this flight

When did the cheapest London to Istanbul fare fly?

$236 round-trip, British Airways BA720, departing 2026-05-09 at 18:30, returning 2026-05-11. The recorded itinerary left on a Saturday, returning on a Monday 2 nights later; the fare was observed 14 days before departure. "Book this flight" opens Kiwi.com with the same airline and dates.

Route facts

How far is London from Istanbul?

  • Distance: 1,546 miles (2,487 km) great-circle, heading east.
  • Estimated nonstop flight time: about 3h 35m.
  • Departure airport: London Heathrow Airport (LHR), London, United Kingdom, UTC+1 on May 9, 2026.
  • Arrival: Istanbul Airport (IST), Türkiye, UTC+3 on May 9, 2026.
  • Time difference: Istanbul is 2 hours ahead of London on the recorded date.
  • Route type: international, United Kingdom to Türkiye.
  • Arrival airport elevation: 325 ft.
  • Recorded itinerary: British Airways BA720, non-stop, round-trip, 2 days between departure and return.
Fare comparison

How does the London to Istanbul fare compare with other routes from LHR?

At $236, it ranked 5th of the 30 round-trip fares we recorded from LHR (median $624). That is 15.3 cents per great-circle mile (round-trip price over one-way distance), below the LHR median of 22.9 cents across 30 round-trip routes.

Routes from LHR of similar length: Moscow (1,558 mi) at $439 and Chisinau (1,354 mi) at $297.

British Airways had the cheapest fare on 6 of 30 LHR routes. It is the 21st longest of the 30 routes we track from LHR.

Other ways in

What did other cities pay to fly to Istanbul?

Of 117 departure airports with a fare to Istanbul, London (LHR) ranked 35th at $236. Lowest: $60 from Antalya (AYT); highest: $1639 from Wellington (WLG); 29 nonstop. Cheapest-fare airlines (routes): Pegasus Airlines (13), Qatar (7), WestJet (6), Wizz Air (6), Gulf Air (5) and Turkish (5), plus 51 more.

Sources

Where do these numbers come from?

Travelpayouts fares (cheapest per route, observed April 25, 2026); OurAirports coordinates and elevations; IANA zones Europe/London, Europe/Istanbul; flight time is our estimate.

FAQ

London to Istanbul flight questions

How far is London from Istanbul by plane?

+
London is about 1,546 miles (2,487 km) from Istanbul on a great-circle line from London Heathrow Airport (LHR) to Istanbul Airport (IST), heading east. It is the 21st longest of the 30 routes we track from LHR. The recorded itinerary was nonstop.

How long is the flight from London to Istanbul?

+
About 3h 35m nonstop by our estimate for 1,546 miles (500 mph cruise plus 30 minutes, not a timetable). The recorded British Airways fare was nonstop. 117 airports in our feed had a fare to Istanbul; this one ranked 35th, and 29 of the 117 were nonstop.

What is the time difference between London and Istanbul?

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On May 9, 2026, London was on UTC+1 (Europe/London) and Istanbul on UTC+3 (Europe/Istanbul), so Istanbul was 2 hours ahead of London: noon in London was 14:00 in Istanbul. Daylight saving changes it: in mid-January 2026 the gap is Istanbul 3 hours ahead, in mid-July Istanbul 2 hours ahead.

How much is a flight from London to Istanbul?

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As observed on April 25, 2026: $236 per person round-trip on British Airways flight BA720, departing May 9, 2026, returning May 11, 2026, nonstop. At $236, it ranked 5th of the 30 round-trip fares we recorded from LHR (median $624). That is 15.3 cents per great-circle mile (round-trip price over one-way distance), below the LHR median of 22.9 cents across 30 round-trip routes. Prices change daily, so check the live fare.

Is there a nonstop flight from London to Istanbul?

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Yes, the cheapest recorded fare was a nonstop British Airways flight, BA720, on May 9, 2026. Into Istanbul, 29 of the 117 recorded fares were nonstop. From LHR, 7 of 30 were. Routes from LHR of similar length: Moscow (1,558 mi) at $439 and Chisinau (1,354 mi) at $297.

Which airports serve flights from London to Istanbul?

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It departs London Heathrow Airport (LHR) in London, United Kingdom, and arrives at Istanbul Airport (IST) in Istanbul, Türkiye. An international flight, United Kingdom to Türkiye. British Airways had the cheapest fare on 6 of 30 LHR routes.

Where else near Istanbul can you fly from London?

Antalya (AYT) $335Chisinau (RMO) $297Belgrade (BEG) $271Sochi (AER) $874Mineralnyye Vody (MRV) $818Yerevan (EVN) $376All flights from London →

Other cities with flights to Istanbul

From Antalya (AYT) $60From Budapest (BUD) $106From Amsterdam (AMS) $108From Vienna (VIE) $124From Zurich (ZRH) $124From Prague (PRG) $130

Ready to fly?

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