Turkish Airlines flies from Sydney and connects the city to hundreds of destinations
One of the world’s largest airlines will soon operate flights between Sydney and Istanbul.
Turkish Airlines will operate flights four times a week from December 5 with a stop in Kuala Lumpur.
It is the first time the airline has flown from Sydney, adding to the three weekly flights already flying from Melbourne to Turkiye’s largest city.
NSW Minister for Jobs and Tourism John Graham welcomed the new route which will ‘help European travelers with direct access to our state’s world-class visitor experiences’.
The state government expects the route will bring 68,620 inbound seats to Sydney, support 290 jobs and generate approximately $53 million in revenue in the first year alone.
“Sydney is the gateway to Australia and supporting this new route offers huge potential to grow the state’s visitor economy,” Graham said.
A non-stop flight between Sydney and Istanbul has also been promised in the near future, giving Australians another option for European travel.
The addition could help reduce the price of airline tickets due to increased competition.
Turkish Airlines has announced it will operate its first flights from Sydney from December 5, after reaching an agreement with the NSW government (photo, Turkish Airlines aircraft)
The deal also adds Turkish Airlines to its extensive network of more than 340 destinations in more than 120 countries.
Professor Ahmet Bolat, Chairman of Turkish Airlines, called the new route an important milestone.
“This new route not only enhances our global network, but also reaffirms our commitment to connecting passengers to new opportunities and experiences,” he said.
“Sydney represents a vibrant gateway to the Southern Hemisphere, and we are pleased to offer our travelers unparalleled access to this dynamic city.
“This expansion underlines our commitment to growing our network and providing exceptional service, bridging continents and bringing people closer together.”
The flight route will also help connect Turkish Australians.
“With more than 15,000 Turkish-born Australians in NSW and Türkiye consistently rated as one of the top destinations for Australian travellers, we are confident this service will be strongly supported,” Sydney Airport CEO Scott Charlton said.
The flight route between Sydney and Istanbul will initially require refueling in Kuala Lumpur, but it has been promised non-stop flying in the future, creating a unique route in and out of Europe
It is also expected to increase competition in a diluted international flight market and help lower prices for Australians wanting to travel to Europe (pictured, Sydney Airport)
Qantas international chief Cam Wallace welcomed the added competition in Australian airspace.
“It keeps us on our toes and we want that competitive intensity,” he told a CAPA Airline Leader Summit in Brisbane on Thursday.
Mr Wallace expects more competitors will compete for influence in the domestic market after the collapse of Rex and Bonza.
“History shows that there will be a third, fourth and fifth competitor (in the domestic market) because it is a very tempting industry,” he said.
“The limitations and challenges will always be there and the relatively small population base won’t change anytime soon, but for us competition is a good thing.”
