Antalya Airport (AYT) at a glance
Antalya Airport (IATA AYT) sits roughly 13 km northeast of central Antalya and is the main gateway for the Turkish Riviera. It is a genuinely big seasonal airport rather than a small resort terminal: the airport reported about 39.1 million passengers in 2025, and the first phase of its recent expansion lifted annual terminal capacity to about 65 million. That scale matters in July and August, when arrival banks can make immigration, baggage reclaim and road transfers feel much busier than the map distance suggests.
I treat AYT as an easy airport geographically but a busy one operationally: the city is close, yet the right terminal and transfer plan still save a surprising amount of hassle.
Which terminal in 2026?
The biggest practical change is simple: all international flights have operated from Terminal 2 since 27 October 2025. The domestic terminal remains separate, and Terminal 1 is still part of the airport complex, but an international arrival or departure should now be planned around T2 unless the airport or your airline explicitly tells you otherwise.
Do not try to walk between the international terminal buildings with luggage. The airport runs a complimentary ring shuttle between Terminal 1, Terminal 2 and the Domestic Terminal; the airport says the shuttles leave every 20 minutes and stop in front of the departures areas. I would still check the airport's current terminal notice on travel day because terminal operations can change faster than an evergreen travel guide.
Getting from the airport into Antalya
Taxi
This remains the simplest door-to-door option. Official taxi stands sit outside the arrivals exits of all terminals, and the airport displays fare information near the taxi ranks. For central Antalya or Lara, allow roughly 20–30 minutes in normal traffic; peak summer traffic can stretch that.
AntRay tram
The Fatih–Havalimanı–Expo (T1) AntRay line is the useful rail link for airport travellers. The important 2026 wrinkle is that international flights now use T2, while the airport tram connection is on the T1/domestic side of the complex. If you arrive internationally, use the free inter-terminal ring rather than treating the terminals as a short walk. Current service notices and times should be checked with Antalya Ulaşım or Antalyakart on the day.
Municipal buses
The airport's current transport guidance points passengers to Antalya's municipal bus and mass-transport network. Buses can be a good budget option if the route fits your accommodation, but I would check the live route rather than rely on an old blog post or a historical shuttle timetable.
Hotel or private transfer
For Belek, Side, Kemer, Alanya or a family arriving with several bags, a pre-booked transfer is often the cleanest choice. It costs more than public transport but removes the terminal-to-city connection and is especially useful for late arrivals.
Rental car
Car-rental companies operate at the airport. A car makes most sense when the next few days include ruins, canyons or several coastal stops; for a stay centred on Kaleiçi and the city beaches, I would not hire one just for the airport transfer. See our car rental guide.
Distance and transfer time by area
| Area | Approx. drive time | My default choice |
|---|---|---|
| City centre / Kaleiçi | 20–30 min | Taxi, or ring + AntRay if travelling light |
| Lara | 20–30 min | Taxi or hotel transfer |
| Konyaaltı | 25–35 min | Taxi or public transport with connection |
| Belek | 30–45 min | Hotel/private transfer |
| Side | 45–60 min | Hotel/private transfer |
| Kemer | 45–60 min | Hotel/private transfer |
| Alanya | 90–120 min | Pre-booked transfer or rental car |
These are planning ranges, not promises. Summer road traffic, hotel changeover days, flight delays and the terminal shuttle can all add time.
Visa and passport checks: do not use a blanket rule
Türkiye's entry rules depend on nationality, passport type and trip purpose. The old advice that “most Western visitors need an e-Visa” is too broad and can be wrong. Many European ordinary-passport holders are visa-exempt for short tourist stays, while other nationalities may need an e-Visa or another visa. Check your exact passport on the Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Foreign Affairs visa page and, only if required, use the official eVisa.gov.tr portal.
The Ministry also says travel documents generally need validity extending at least 60 days beyond the permitted stay, subject to specific exemptions. I would check this before paying for a flight rather than at the airport desk.
Arrival and departure tips that still matter
Long layover or an early flight?
I would not gamble a tight connection on a dash into Kaleiçi. For a self-transfer or same-day onward flight, keep a generous buffer for immigration, baggage, terminal transfer, road traffic and a fresh security check. A city visit only starts to make sense when the layover is comfortably long — think several spare hours after all of those buffers, not merely four hours between scheduled arrival and departure.
For a very early flight, an airport-area hotel or a pre-booked transfer can be more valuable than squeezing in one more night in the old town. The point is not to stay closest at all costs; it is to remove the only risky part of the morning.
Cheers, Carpe Diem & check the terminal before you check the taxi queue! 🍻⏳✈️
TATS Man
your terminal-change sceptic on the Turkish Riviera