Turkish Airlines Launches Historic Australia Flights: Istanbul to Melbourne via Singapore Begins March 15

Turkish Airlines is set to make a significant entry into the Australian market, commencing its inaugural flights to the continent on March 15. This long-awaited service will operate three times a week, connecting Istanbul with Melbourne via a stopover at Singapore Changi Airport (SIN). Initially, these flights will be conducted using Boeing 787-9 aircraft, but the airline plans to transition to Airbus A350-900 equipment from March 31, as revealed by their booking system.

This announcement ends months of speculation regarding Turkish Airlines’ Australian strategy. While Melbourne was previously confirmed as the airline’s first Australian destination, the exact start date and transit point had been under wraps. Although a stopover in Singapore, home to Star Alliance partner Singapore Airlines, was anticipated, the airline had explored other potential gateways.

Ahmet Bolat, the Chairman of Turkish Airlines, expressed his enthusiasm about achieving the goal of reaching Australia, a project that has been in the works for some time. He foresees an expansion in the frequency of flights and the addition of new Australian destinations in the coming years.

The flight schedule will see variations over the next few months, including approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes layover in Singapore in both directions. Turkish Airlines will hold the unique position of being the only European airline to service Melbourne Airport (MEL), making it the 346th destination in its network.

Jim Parashos, MEL’s Chief of Aviation, highlighted the significance of Turkish Airlines’ arrival, offering Australians seamless connections to Turkey and beyond. He noted Istanbul’s unique geographical and historical position and emphasized the city’s importance as a global transit hub.

Parashos also pointed out the relevance of this route to the large Turkish community in Melbourne, expecting substantial visit-friends-and-relatives (VFR) traffic.

In a move to facilitate this expansion, the Australian government recently increased the number of weekly flights allowed from Turkey, scaling up from seven to 21, with plans to further increase to 28 per week by the northern winter of 2024-25 and to 35 by winter 2025-26. This agreement covers Australia’s major international gateways and the soon-to-open Western Sydney International Airport. It also includes fifth-freedom traffic rights at two Asian or Middle Eastern points between Istanbul and Australia.

Looking to the future, Turkish Airlines aims to initiate nonstop flights between Istanbul and Australia. However, this ambition is likely delayed until at least 2026, pending the availability of long-haul aircraft such as the Airbus A350-1000 or the Boeing 777X. The airline’s recent order of 220 Airbus aircraft, including 15 A350-1000s, and ongoing negotiations for a significant Boeing order, including the 777X, are steps towards this goal.

Market data from Sabre Market Intelligence indicates a rising demand for this route, with a significant increase in passengers between Istanbul and Melbourne compared to pre-pandemic levels. Turkish Airlines is also exploring a partnership with Australian domestic carrier Rex to enhance connectivity at both ends of the route.