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SMO to SAW: distance & flight time
Santa Monica (Santa Monica Municipal Airport) → Istanbul (Sabiha Gökçen International Airport)
6,869 mi
11,055 km · 5,969 nm
13h 56m
estimated nonstop flight time
+10h
time difference · heading northeast
See live SMO→SAW fares Phone-only fares on this route — call free
Flight time details
6,869 miles nonstop takes roughly 13h 56m gate to gate, flying northeast. Add 45–90 minutes per connection if there's no nonstop service. Remember to factor the 10-hour time gain when reading arrival times on your ticket.
The two airports
- SMO — Santa Monica Municipal Airport · Santa Monica, United States
- SAW — Sabiha Gökçen International Airport · Istanbul, Turkey
Distances are great-circle ("as the crow flies") — the same basis airlines use for frequent-flyer miles.
Alternate airports can cut this fare
Flying from or into a nearby airport is the #1 trick our agents use to beat online prices. Call and we'll compare every combination on one call.
Near SMO
- LAX · Los Angeles International Airport6 mi away
- HHR · Jack Northrop Field Hawthorne Municipal Airport9 mi away
- BUR · Bob Hope Airport14 mi away
- VNY · Van Nuys Airport14 mi away
Near SAW
- IST · Istanbul Airport39 mi away
- ISL · Atatürk International Airport26 mi away
- KCO · Cengiz Topel Airport42 mi away
- YEI · Bursa Yenişehir Airport46 mi away
Frequently asked questions
How far is SMO from SAW?
The flight distance from Santa Monica (SMO) to Istanbul (SAW) is 6,869 miles (11,055 km, 5,969 nautical miles), measured along the great-circle route airlines actually fly.
How long is the flight from SMO to SAW?
A nonstop flight takes about 13h 56m gate to gate. Actual time varies with winds, routing and season — eastbound transatlantic flights, for example, are usually faster than the return.
What is the time difference between Santa Monica and Istanbul?
Istanbul is 10 hours ahead of Santa Monica.
What is the cheapest way to fly from SMO to SAW?
Compare live fares online, then call CheapoTrav — our agents have unpublished consolidator fares on SMO–SAW that never appear on search engines, with no booking fees.