Canadian Transportation Agency Denies Turkish Airlines Flight Boost
The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) has rejected Turkish Airlines’ request to add five extra weekly flights between Türkiye and Canada for the summer season in 2025. The carrier, which currently operates from Istanbul Airport, sought additional frequencies that would have bolstered its network on key Canadian routes.
According to the application, Turkish Airlines wanted to operate one additional flight between Istanbul and Toronto Pearson, two additional flights from Istanbul to Montréal Trudeau, and one more service to Vancouver International. These proposed flights were scheduled to run between April 1 and October 31, 2025. Last year, the CTA had approved a modest increase—granting one extra frequency to Toronto for the period from May 1 to October 31, 2024.
However, in its decision, the CTA stated that granting these extra flights would “substantially change the negotiated regime of the [agreement on air transport between Canada and Türkiye] outside the ongoing negotiation process.” Under the existing bilateral agreement, both Canada and Türkiye have the right to allocate up to 12 weekly flights among their designated carriers. Currently, Turkish Airlines is the only airline offering direct services between the two countries. (Biman Bangladesh Airlines operates a fifth-freedom service connecting Dhaka and Toronto via Istanbul, but it is not considered a direct operation between Türkiye and Canada.) It is also noteworthy that Air Canada discontinued its direct service to Istanbul Atatürk in 2017.
Had the new frequencies been approved, it would have resulted in a 42% capacity increase over the limits set by the current agreement. Air Canada argued that this surge in capacity would have been “unreasonably excessive within the confines of any extra-bilateral application.” Their concerns were echoed by other stakeholders, including Air Transat, Aéroports de Montréal, and the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, all of which opposed Turkish Airlines’ application.
The CTA’s decision underscores the delicate balance in international air service agreements, where capacity increases can have significant implications for market dynamics and competition. The agency’s stance reflects a cautious approach to altering established bilateral frameworks, ensuring that any modifications occur through formal negotiation channels rather than unilaterally through extra-bilateral applications.
This development comes at a time when airlines are eager to expand their networks in the wake of recovering demand for international travel. Despite this optimism, regulators continue to prioritize adherence to existing agreements to maintain a stable competitive environment. Turkish Airlines, a prominent carrier known for its extensive network, will have to explore other avenues to grow its capacity on the Canada-Türkiye corridor while remaining within the confines of the current regulatory framework.
As negotiations on the broader air transport agreement between Canada and Türkiye continue, both sides will likely revisit capacity allocations in the future. For now, the CTA’s decision serves as a reminder that any significant changes to flight frequencies must be carefully balanced against the agreed terms that govern international air services.
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Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, ch-aviation.com