Istanbul to Kigali (IST–KGL) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections

IST Airport Page →
2,989 mi airlines charter/private 11/wk
On-time Some delays Frequent delays
Flight Schedule 5 flights Verified 36m ago
Nonstop Charter / private 1-Stop 2-Stop Hide separate tickets Hide overnight Hide codeshares
  Flight Airline AC Dep Arr Dur OTP Sched  
✈ Nonstop
TK612
TK Turkish
7M8
6:40 PM
+03
12:55 AM+1
CAT
7h 15m
62%
M T W T F S S
Prices
TK569+1
TK Turkish
7M8
6:40 PM
+03
12:55 AM+1
CAT
7h 15m
62%
M T W T F S S
Prices
WB1252cs
WB RwandAir
7M8
6:40 PM
+03
12:55 AM+1
CAT
7h 15m
M T W T F S S
Prices
WB1250cs
WB RwandAir
7M8
6:40 PM
+03
12:55 AM+1
CAT
7h 15m
M T W T F S S
Prices
TK606+1
TK Turkish
333
6:45 PM
+03
12:50 AM+1
CAT
7h 5m
62%
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
CAI Cairo 8h 45m ETJULO EYMSWB Cairo (CAI) to Kigali flights
ADD Addis Ababa 9h 30m ATETTK ETEYMS Addis Ababa (ADD) to Kigali flights
DOH Doha 11h 15m MHQRTK QRWB Doha (DOH) to Kigali flights
DXB Dubai 12h 5m BIEKFZ WB Dubai (DXB) to Kigali flights
NBO Nairobi 12h 20m ATNHOZ BAKLKQ Nairobi (NBO) to Kigali flights
AMS Amsterdam 13h 15m 6EAMFI DLKL Amsterdam (AMS) to Kigali flights
LHR London 16h 5m 6EAVBA WB London (LHR) to Kigali flights
DAR Dar es Salaam 18h 8m 6EATTK WB Dar es Salaam (DAR) to Kigali flights
JNB Johannesburg 20h 53m 6ETK QRWB Johannesburg (JNB) to Kigali flights
LOS Lagos 22h 15m TK WB Lagos (LOS) to Kigali flights
1-STOP More options, longer trips
2-STOP Loading... Reach the hardest destinations
Istanbul to Kigali
1 carrier, 11 flights/week nonstop.
1 Airlines 2,989 mi 7h 15m nonstop -1h behind

IST–KGL is served by 1 airline with nonstop service. Turkish Airlines leads the route. The flight covers 2,989 miles in approximately 7h 15m. Beyond nonstop, 1-stop connecting options are also available.

Airline Landscape

All carriers operating nonstop IST–KGL service, compared side by side.
Airline Freq/wk Aircraft Duration Dep OTP Alliance Codeshares
TK Turkish Airlines Also: WB 7 333, 7M8 7h05-7h15 Star Alliance WB
Aircraft on this route
333 Airbus A330-300 – TK
7M8 Boeing 737 MAX 8 – TK, WB
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 KGL direction.
Mon
2
flights
Tue
1
flight
Wed
2
flights
Thu
1
flight
Fri
2
flights
Sat
1
flight
Sun
2
flights
Departure time distribution
12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM12 AM
Morning departures
Afternoon/evening departures
5
Nonstop flights
11
Outbound / wk
0
Return / wk

Connection Landscape

Beyond nonstop. 1-stop and 2-stop options for IST to KGL.
1-STOP
One-Stop Connections
14
Hubs
~8h
Fastest
~27h
Longest
Verified with published schedule alignment and minimum connection time.
2-STOP
Two-Stop Connections
959
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
Kigali is 1 hour behind Istanbul.
IST: +03 · KGL: CAT

When it's 6:00 PM in Istanbul, it's 5:00 PM in Kigali.
Distance & Flight Time
2,989 mi / 4,811 km
Nonstop flight time is approximately 7h 15m gate to gate.
Visa & Entry

Turkish passport holders can get a visa on arrival in Rwanda for stays up to 30 days. The fee is USD 30. You can also apply for an eVisa in advance through the official portal at irembo.gov.rw. Passport must be valid for at least 6 months beyond the date of entry. Yellow fever vaccination is mandatory. 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–KGL Quick Facts

Key statistics for the Istanbul to Kigali route.
Route details
Distance2,989 mi / 4,811 km
Flight time7h 15m
Time difference-1 hour
Airlines (nonstop)1
Weekly flights11 out
1-stop connectionsAvailable
Origin: IST
IATA / ICAOIST / LTFM
TimezoneEurope/Istanbul
Passengers/yr80.1M
Elevation325 ft / 99 m
Destination: KGL
IATA / ICAOKGL / HRYR
TimezoneAfrica/Kigali
Passengers/yr1.2M
Elevation4,859 ft / 1,481 m

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about IST to KGL flights.
Nonstop flights from İstanbul Airport to Kigali International Airport take about 7h 15m gate to gate. The route covers 2,989 miles.
1 airline operates flights from IST to KGL: 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 Cairo, Addis Ababa Bole and Hamad.
Kigali is 1 hour behind Istanbul.
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 KGL

İstanbul Airport (IST) and Kigali International Airport (KGL) are connected by nonstop service from Turkish Airlines. With 11 weekly departures, this is a regularly served route.

IST to KGL Flight Duration and Schedule

Nonstop flight time from IST to KGL is about 7 hours 15 minutes gate to gate. The route covers a distance of 2,989 miles (4,811 km).

Connecting Options and Alternatives

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