Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from Hannover to Istanbul. The left side wins at takeoff for Hannover city views, but the right side delivers the far more dramatic payoff on approach into Istanbul with the Bosphorus, Sea of Marmara, and the historic peninsula all visible. The right side also captures the Adriatic coastline and parts of the Balkans during the cruise portion of the flight. The Istanbul approach alone makes right the overall winner.

During takeoff from Hannover (HAJ), sit on the Left side for the best views. Hannover's runways 09L/27R and 09R/27L run east-west. Departures heading southeast toward Istanbul typically use runway 27 (westward takeoff rolling east), or runway 09 heading east. On a southeast departure, the left side gives views over the city of Hannover itself, the Maschsee lake, and the Eilenriede urban forest. The right side faces north toward flat agricultural lowlands with little of interest. Notable sights include: Maschsee lake (large rectangular reservoir south of city center), Eilenriede urban forest (dense green wedge east of center), Hannover city center grid, Mittellandkanal waterway cutting east-west north of the city.

When landing at Ataturk (IST), sit on the Right side for the best views. Ataturk Airport sits on the European side of Istanbul, just north of the Sea of Marmara. Approaches from the north typically use runway 06/24 or 18/36. On a northerly approach to runway 06 or 24, the right side faces south and east, giving views over the Bosphorus strait, the historic peninsula of old Istanbul (Sultanahmet), and the Asian shore of Istanbul across the water. The left side faces north toward the Black Sea coast and suburban sprawl. Notable sights include: Bosphorus strait (wide blue channel separating Europe and Asia), Sea of Marmara (open water to the south), historic Istanbul peninsula with dense urban grid of Sultanahmet, Asian shore of Istanbul (Kadikoy/Uskudar districts across the Bosphorus).

The flight from Hannover (HAJ) to Ataturk (IST) takes Approximately 2 hours 45 minutes to 3 hours.

The route crosses the Czech Republic and Austria (Bohemian highlands visible as rolling forested terrain), then the eastern Alps near Vienna appear as a distant snow-capped ridge on the right side. Over Hungary the Danube is briefly visible as a wide silver ribbon. The flight then crosses Serbia and Bulgaria, where the Balkan mountain range (Stara Planina) appears as a distinct ridge running east-west across Bulgaria. The Black Sea coast of Bulgaria and Romania may be visible on the right side before descent into Istanbul.