Istanbul to Cape Town (IST–CPT) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections

IST Airport Page →
5,239 mi airlines charter/private 14/wk
On-time Some delays Frequent delays
Flight Schedule 5 flights Verified 59m ago
Nonstop Charter / private 1-Stop 2-Stop Hide separate tickets Hide overnight Hide codeshares
  Flight Airline AC Dep Arr Dur OTP Sched  
✈ Nonstop
TK44+2
TK Turkish
359
1:45 AM
+03
11:50 AM
SAST
11h 5m
50%
M T W T F S S
Prices
6E4327cs
6E IndiGo
359
1:45 AM
+03
11:50 AM
SAST
11h 5m
25%
M T W T F S S
Prices
TG9223cs
TG Thai
359
4:35 PM
SAST
4:35 AM+1
+03
11h
M T W T F S S
Prices
6E4328cs
6E IndiGo
359
4:35 PM
SAST
4:35 AM+1
+03
11h
M T W T F S S
Prices
TK45+2
TK Turkish
359
4:35 PM
SAST
4:35 AM+1
+03
11h
M T W T F S S
Prices

No flights match your filters.

No scheduled airline flights on this route — it's flown by charter / private operators (). No nonstop flights on this route. connecting options below.

✦ 1-Stop connections via 10 hubs
JNB Johannesburg 12h 50m 6ETK 4Z5ZEK Johannesburg (JNB) to Cape Town flights
ADD Addis Ababa 14h 10m ATETTK A3AIET Addis Ababa (ADD) to Cape Town flights
DOH Doha 15h 17m MHQRTK ASATAY Doha (DOH) to Cape Town flights
FRA Frankfurt am Main 15h 25m ACFILA LHNH Frankfurt am Main (FRA) to Cape Town flights
DXB Dubai 15h 28m BIEKFZ EKSA Dubai (DXB) to Cape Town flights
AMS Amsterdam 16h 34m 6EAMFI KLSK Amsterdam (AMS) to Cape Town flights
LHR London 16h 50m 6EAVBA BA London (LHR) to Cape Town flights
MRU Plaine Magnien 20h TK AIMKSA Plaine Magnien (MRU) to Cape Town flights
ZRH Zurich 25h 26m 6EGFOZ WK Zurich (ZRH) to Cape Town flights
ATL Atlanta 27h 57m 6EPKTG DL Atlanta (ATL) to Cape Town flights
1-STOP More options, longer trips
2-STOP Loading... Reach the hardest destinations
Istanbul to Cape Town
1 carrier, 14 flights/week nonstop.
1 Airlines 5,239 mi 11h 5m nonstop -1h behind

IST–CPT is served by 1 airline with nonstop service. Turkish Airlines leads the route. The flight covers 5,239 miles in approximately 11h 5m. Beyond nonstop, 1-stop connecting options are also available.

Airline Landscape

All carriers operating nonstop IST–CPT service, compared side by side.
Airline Freq/wk Aircraft Duration Dep OTP Alliance Codeshares
TK Turkish Airlines Also: 6E 7 359 11h05 Star Alliance 6E
Aircraft on this route
359 Airbus A350-900 – 6E, TK
Alliance coverage
Star Alliance: TK (7 flights/wk, 100%)
OTP based on airport-level delay snapshots. Duration ranges reflect seasonal/directional variation.

Weekly Schedule Pattern

Nonstop flight frequency by day of week, IST to CPT direction.
Mon
2
flights
Tue
2
flights
Wed
2
flights
Thu
2
flights
Fri
2
flights
Sat
2
flights
Sun
2
flights
Departure time distribution
12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM12 AM
Morning departures
Afternoon/evening departures
2
Nonstop flights
14
Outbound / wk
21
Return / wk

Connection Landscape

Beyond nonstop. 1-stop and 2-stop options for IST to CPT.
1-STOP
One-Stop Connections
18
Hubs
~12h
Fastest
~47h
Longest
Verified with published schedule alignment and minimum connection time.
2-STOP
Two-Stop Connections
1,219
Candidates
Two-stop connections loaded in the connections tab above.
Connections computed from published schedules with minimum connection time verification. Use the interactive explorer above the fold to filter by airline, tier, and layover time.

Travel Essentials

Practical planning for this route.
Time Difference
-1h
Cape Town is 1 hour behind Istanbul.
IST: +03 · CPT: SAST

When it's 6:00 PM in Istanbul, it's 5:00 PM in Cape Town.
Distance & Flight Time
5,239 mi / 8,431 km
Nonstop flight time is approximately 11h 5m gate to gate.
Visa & Entry

Turkish passport holders enter South Africa visa-free for stays up to 30 days. No advance application is needed. Passport must be valid for at least 30 days beyond the intended departure from South Africa with at least 2 blank pages. A return or onward ticket may be requested at immigration.

Getting to IST

Istanbul Metro M11 Gayrettepe–İstanbul Havalimanı line connects the airport to the broader metro network; from Gayrettepe (Mecidiyeköy/Levent area) the journey is about 35 minutes (₺60–70 with Istanbulkart). The line runs roughly 5am to midnight.Havaist express buses serve Taksim, Kadıköy, and other major hubs (₺50–80, 45–90 minutes depending on traffic). Taxis use a meter; expect ₺400–600 from Taksim or Sultanahmet. The airport is 35km northwest of the city; traffic on the O-7 motorway can be severe during peak hours.

IST–CPT Quick Facts

Key statistics for the Istanbul to Cape Town route.
Route details
Distance5,239 mi / 8,431 km
Flight time11h 5m
Time difference-1 hour
Airlines (nonstop)1
Weekly flights14 out / 21 return
1-stop connectionsAvailable
Origin: IST
IATA / ICAOIST / LTFM
TimezoneEurope/Istanbul
Passengers/yr80.1M
Elevation325 ft / 99 m
Destination: CPT
IATA / ICAOCPT / FACT
TimezoneAfrica/Johannesburg
Passengers/yr10.4M
Elevation151 ft / 46 m

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about IST to CPT flights.
Nonstop flights from İstanbul Airport to Cape Town International Airport take about 11h 5m gate to gate. The route covers 5,239 miles.
1 airline operates flights from IST to CPT: Turkish Airlines.
This route has daily service. Check the schedule above for departure days and times in each direction.
Yes, 1-stop connections are available, ranked by layover time. Common connecting points include O.R. Tambo, Addis Ababa Bole and Hamad.
Cape Town is 1 hour behind Istanbul.
Yes, return flights from CPT to IST are available. Use the direction toggle at the top to view the return schedule.
Click the 'Search Flights' button to check availability and prices on Google Flights. You can also compare airlines and schedules on this page to find the best option.
Route data is updated regularly from official airline schedules. On-time performance data comes from recent airport delay snapshots.

Flights from IST to CPT

İstanbul Airport (IST) and Cape Town International Airport (CPT) are connected by nonstop service from Turkish Airlines. With 14 weekly departures, this is a well served route.

IST to CPT Flight Duration and Schedule

Nonstop flight time from IST to CPT is about 11 hours 5 minutes gate to gate. The route covers a distance of 5,239 miles (8,431 km). There are approximately 14 weekly flights outbound and 21 return, totaling 35 flights per week in both directions.

Connecting Options and Alternatives

1-stop connecting options are also available, commonly via O.R. Tambo, Addis Ababa Bole and Hamad. Two-stop connections are also available via intermediate hubs.