Turkish Airlines Eyes Collaboration with Australia’s Rex for Expanded Down Under Presence

Turkish Airlines, the flagship carrier based in Istanbul, is actively exploring a potential partnership with Rex, an Australian domestic airline. This move comes as Turkish Airlines seeks to substantially increase its flights to Australia, having recently received the necessary approvals to do so.

Ahmet Bolat, the Chairman of Turkish Airlines, revealed in a conversation with Aviation Week on December 19 that the airline is already engaged in commercial cooperation with Australian airlines. This facilitates passenger access to Australia, and now, the focus is shifting towards Rex. Bolat praised Rex for its firm expansion in the domestic Australian market and noted their growing operations in major cities like Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, and Perth.

Rex, known for its significant domestic network, operates with a fleet comprising nine Boeing 737-800s and 58 Saab 340s, serving 56 destinations across Australia. This extensive reach makes Rex an attractive partner for Turkish Airlines as it looks to extend its footprint in Australia.

While Bolat did not specify a launch date for Turkish Airlines’ services to Australia, he had previously mentioned to Aviation Week the possibility of starting with an Istanbul-Singapore-Melbourne route. This route would be operated using Boeing 787-9 aircraft, capitalizing on the airline’s fifth freedom traffic rights.

Sources close to Rex confirmed that discussions with Turkish Airlines are underway, with expectations of Turkish Airlines commencing Australian services by March 2024. Initially, direct flights from Istanbul will not be feasible due to the range limitations of Turkish Airlines’ current fleet. However, Bolat expressed a desire to eventually operate nonstop flights to Australian cities, potentially using longer-range aircraft like the Airbus A350-1000 or 777X in the future.

December also saw a significant development for Turkish Airlines in the Australian market, with the Australian government approving a substantial increase in flight frequencies from Turkey. The number of flights allowed will rise from seven to 21 times weekly, effective immediately, and will further increase to 28 weekly flights from the northern winter 2024-25 season and 35 weekly flights from winter 2025-26.

This approval encompasses services to Australia’s four major international airports—Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney—as well as the upcoming Western Sydney International Airport, set to open in 2026. Additionally, the approval includes fifth-freedom traffic rights at two points in Asia or the Middle East, offering Turkish Airlines a strategic advantage in its route planning between Istanbul and Australia.