In a message dated 9/29/2003 9:10:59 PM Pacific Daylight Time, bahadiracuner@xxxxxxxxx writes: << It is on the Asian side. I was there in Nov. 2001 and it was dead as it could be with great facilities. It has become the airport of choice for many Russian charters. It is also convenient if your final destination is East of Marmara Sea which helps you to avoid crossing continents , slashing about 2 hrs of horrible stop and go traffic. >> No wonder Germanwings wants to fly there. The European side of Istanbul is more city and not so much the resort that Germans love. Going over to the more serene (until they turn it into Mallorca) will attract the sun lovers