Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Istanbul to Singapore. The left side wins overall for the spectacular Bosphorus and Istanbul departure, and also captures the Andaman Sea coastline of Thailand and the Malay Peninsula's western coast during the long overwater cruise. The right side has a slight edge only at Seletar landing, but the Istanbul departure views are the highlight of this route.

During takeoff from Ataturk (IST), sit on the Left side for the best views. Ataturk typically departs eastbound on runway 06, so the left (north) side gives you the Sea of Marmara, the Bosphorus strait, and the historic peninsula of old Istanbul with its dense skyline. The right side faces industrial suburbs and the Marmara coast with less visual interest. Notable sights include: Bosphorus strait, Sea of Marmara, historic Istanbul peninsula (Sultanahmet/Topkapi area), Prince's Islands.

When landing at Seletar (XSP), sit on the Right side for the best views. Seletar Airport sits in the northeast of Singapore and typically lands on runway 03 or 21. On approach from the north on runway 03, the right (east) side looks over the Straits of Johor and the northeastern coastline, while the left side faces inland Singapore. On the more common southbound runway 21 approach, the right side gives views over the Johor Strait and Pulau Ubin island before touchdown. Notable sights include: Johor Strait, Pulau Ubin island, Johor Bahru city across the strait, Seletar Reservoir.

The flight from Ataturk (IST) to Seletar (XSP) takes Approximately 10 to 11 hours.

After Istanbul the route crosses southern Turkey and the Taurus Mountains, then passes over Cyprus and the eastern Mediterranean. It tracks southeast over Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan before crossing Saudi Arabia's Hejaz region. The route then crosses the Arabian Sea toward India, passing over or near the Indian subcontinent around Gujarat or Rajasthan. From India it continues southeast over the Bay of Bengal, crosses the Andaman Sea, passes over the Thai-Malay Peninsula near Phuket or Kra Isthmus, and descends over the South China Sea toward Singapore.