Istanbul Airport currently has 3 different terminal buildings:
1) Main Terminal (arrivals and departures under the same roof)
2) VIP Terminal
3) C-VIP Terminal
The General Aviation Terminal is located in the left block of pier G, and it is not possible to walk from inside the terminal to the main terminal from this block. Walking from outside the terminal is quite difficult.
Two worlds of aviation under one roof — but not quite
Istanbul Airport (IATA: IST) opened in 2018 and was designed at a scale that few airports in the world can match: a single terminal building of 1.4 million square metres, with an ultimate capacity approaching 200 million passengers per year. But within that vast campus exists a parallel world the General Aviation Terminal, sometimes referred to as the FBO (Fixed Base Operator) facility which operates entirely separately from the commercial terminal and caters exclusively to private aviation.
The two are not connected by a corridor, a travelator, or a gate. They are separated by the airfield itself. A passenger who lands their Gulfstream at IST and needs to board a Turkish Airlines flight to New York cannot simply walk from one to the other. They require an airside vehicle with the appropriate operational clearances, a representative who understands both environments, and a timeline built around two very different sets of flight schedules.
Who actually uses this service?
The passengers who need a private jet to commercial transfer at IST fall into a handful of distinct profiles, though they share a common denominator: their journey involves both a private aircraft and a scheduled airline, with Istanbul as the point where the two connect.
The owner-operator or charter passenger continuing commercially
A family arrives from their estate in the south of France on a private charter. Their onward journey — to the Maldives, to Tokyo, to Cape Town — is on a commercial carrier. The charter lands at the FBO. The commercial flight departs from the main terminal. Istanbul is the hinge.
The corporate executive on a multi-leg itinerary
A CEO arrives in Istanbul on a company aircraft for a series of meetings. The next leg — back to London, or onward to Dubai — is booked on a commercial airline because the company aircraft is repositioning or returning to base. The transfer between the two terminals is a working problem that someone in the organisation has to solve.
The reverse traveller: commercial in, private out
A high-net-worth individual flies commercially into IST — perhaps on a long-haul service where no private option existed — and departs by private jet, which is waiting at the General Aviation Terminal. They arrive in the main international terminal and need to cross to the FBO side.
The MICE or corporate delegation
A group of twenty executives arrives in Istanbul by charter for a conference or incentive programme. Some depart individually on commercial flights. Coordinating the inter-terminal transfers for an entire delegation, with different onward flights and varying luggage volumes, requires a professional ground operation — not a shared shuttle.
What the transfer actually looks like
For passengers who have never made this connection before, the most useful thing is a clear, sequential account of what happens — both in the FBO-to-main-terminal direction and its reverse.
Direction one: private jet arrival, commercial departure
The aircraft lands and taxis to the General Aviation apron. Ground handling — fuel, catering, maintenance — is coordinated by the FBO. The passenger deplanes, typically into the FBO lounge, which offers a level of service closer to a private members’ club than a conventional terminal: comfortable seating, a staffed reception, refreshments, and privacy.
A professional Meet & Greet representative — from a service provider such as Prometheus Tour — is present after the passenger out from the terminal.
Once formalities are complete, the passenger is escorted to a private chauffeured vehicle — not a shuttle bus — which drives airside across the apron to the main international terminal. The vehicle is typically a Mercedes-Benz Vito. Luggage travels in the same vehicle.
At the main terminal, the representative accompanies the passenger through check-in (or straight to the gate if baggage is already checked through), fast-track security, and to the departure lounge or premium facility of their choice.
Direction two: commercial arrival, private jet departure
The passenger lands at IST’s main terminal on a scheduled service. The Meet & Greet representative is waiting — at the gate, or in the arrivals hall — with a name board. From that moment, the passenger does not navigate alone.
The representative guides them through immigration and customs, collects luggage if necessary, and leads them to the waiting vehicle. The drive crosses the airfield to the General Aviation side, where the private aircraft — and the FBO lounge — await. The representative coordinates the handoff with the FBO and the crew.
The following questions reflect what we hear most frequently from passengers — both individual travellers and corporate travel managers — who are arranging this connection for the first time.
Can I walk between the FBO terminal and the main terminal at Istanbul Airport?
No. The General Aviation / FBO apron is physically separate from the main international terminal and cannot be accessed on foot by passengers. An airside vehicle with the appropriate operational clearances is required. This is not a bureaucratic inconvenience — it is an airfield safety requirement.
What is the FBO terminal at Istanbul Airport, exactly?
The FBO (Fixed Base Operator) terminal — also called the General Aviation Terminal — is the dedicated facility for private jet arrivals and departures at IST. It operates with its own lounge, ground handling operation, customs and immigration processing, and apron access. The level of service is substantially different from the commercial terminal: quieter, more private, and oriented entirely toward passengers travelling outside of scheduled airline operations.
How much time should I allow between my private jet arrival and my commercial departure?
A minimum of ninety minutes; two hours is more comfortable. For groups, or when standard check-in and baggage drop are required, two and a half hours is advisable. A professional service provider will build a personalised timeline using your actual flight schedules and flag any constraints in advance — including the risk of tight connections that are technically possible but operationally inadvisable.
Does the transfer service include customs and immigration assistance?
Yes. A professional Meet & Greet in the main terminal and transfer service includes accompaniment through all entry and exit formalities — passport control, customs declarations, and security screening — with fast-track access where protocol permits. The representative cannot complete declarations on the passenger's behalf, but they ensure the process moves as efficiently as possible and anticipate any documentation requirements based on the passenger's nationality and itinerary.
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