Turkish Airlines Expands in Australia and Latin America
Turkish Airlines, the flagship carrier based in Istanbul, is gearing up to expand its network in Australia by the end of the year. The expansion could include increased flight frequencies to Melbourne or the introduction of a new route to Sydney, as revealed by Chairman Ahmet Bolat at the Farnborough Airshow.
Already operational since March, Turkish Airlines offers thrice-weekly services from Istanbul Airport to Melbourne Airport, with a stopover at Singapore Changi Airport, utilizing the Airbus A350-900 aircraft. Plans are underway to either enhance this service to daily flights or to initiate a one-stop route to Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, which would operate four times per week.
Looking beyond 2023, the airline envisions offering daily nonstop flights to both Melbourne and Sydney by 2026, contingent upon the acquisition of the required aircraft. However, Bolat highlighted that the airline might continue offering one-stop flights to accommodate passenger preferences for shorter segments over direct 17-hour flights.
Further broadening its global footprint, Turkish Airlines aims to increase its presence in Latin America with proposed new routes to Santiago, Chile, and Lima, Peru. Additionally, the airline plans to commence flights to Rio de Janeiro following the liberalization of air travel agreements between Turkey and Brazil earlier this year.
Currently, Turkish Airlines connects to eight destinations across Latin America and the Caribbean, including cities like Bogota, Buenos Aires, Cancun, Caracas, Mexico City, Panama City, and Sao Paulo.
In addition to its expansion in Australia and Latin America, Turkish Airlines is set to enhance its U.S. operations. This includes increasing the frequency of flights to Denver to a daily service—a route that was introduced in June—and doubling the Detroit service from 11 times weekly to twice daily.
Bolat emphasized the strategic importance of the U.S. market, noting the Turkish government’s ambition to increase American tourist arrivals from the current 1.5 million to 5 million. This expansion strategy underlines Turkish Airlines’ commitment to broadening its international reach and enhancing connectivity across continents.