Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from Palermo to Istanbul. Right-side seats capture the most dramatic scenery: the Palermo coastline and Tyrrhenian Sea on departure, then the Ionian Sea crossing, and finally the Bosphorus and Istanbul's waterfront during descent. The Bosphorus is equally striking from the left, but the takeoff views from the right are more distinctive.

During takeoff from Boccadifalco (PMO), sit on the Right side for the best views. Right-side seats offer views of the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Palermo coastline as the aircraft climbs northeastward. You'll see the irregular rocky shoreline and small islands off the coast before the plane turns toward the Ionian Sea. Notable sights include: Tyrrhenian Sea coastline, Mondello Beach area, Ustica Island (small volcanic island ~40 miles north), Palermo city grid below.

When landing at Ataturk (IST), sit on the Left side for the best views. Left-side seats provide excellent views during the descent into Istanbul. You'll see the Bosphorus Strait clearly, the Golden Horn inlet, and the European and Asian sides of Istanbul as the aircraft approaches from the west. Notable sights include: Bosphorus Strait, Golden Horn (Haliç), European Istanbul cityscape, Asian Istanbul and Anatolia beyond.

The flight from Boccadifalco (PMO) to Ataturk (IST) takes Approximately 3 hours 15 minutes.

The flight path crosses the Ionian Sea between Sicily and Greece, passing east of Cephalonia and Zakynthos islands (visible as small landmasses if flying at lower cruise altitude). The Peloponnese coastline of mainland Greece appears on the right side during mid-flight. The Aegean Sea dominates the central portion of the journey. As the aircraft approaches Turkey, the Greek islands of the Dodecanese (Rhodes, Symi) may be visible on the left. The flight then crosses into Turkish airspace over southwestern Anatolia, with the Lycian coast and Taurus Mountains visible inland before turning north toward Istanbul and the Bosphorus approach.