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Turkish Airlines has arrived in Sydney for the first time, opening a new link to Europe via the Middle East.
The maiden flight TK174 touched down at 6:18pm on Friday aboard the 777-300ER TC-LJK, having flown from Istanbul via Kuala Lumpur. Flights will operate three times per week, increasing to five next year, with non-stop services expected to begin in 2026.
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“This momentous occasion marks Turkish Airlines’ longest flight path in history, as we happily add our second Australian city to our flight network,” Turkish Airlines CEO Bilal Ekşi said.
“The arrival of our first flight from Istanbul to Sydney represents our ongoing commitment to connect travellers across the globe, providing a seamless gateway between Europe and Australia with the comfort and hospitality of Turkish Airlines.
“Once we receive our aircraft capable of conducting the journey in a single leap, we look forward to further expanding our offering in the near future with Australia’s first non-stop flights to Istanbul.”
Sydney is now the only airport in Australia served by two European carriers, the other being British Airways. The airport currently has a 38 per cent share of all traffic between Australia and Europe, and CEO Scott Charlton has welcomed Turkish Airlines’ arrival.
“The arrival of Turkish Airlines not only strengthens their offering in our region but also highlights the vital role Sydney plays as a global aviation gateway. We’re also delighted they have chosen Sydney to host their inaugural non-stop services in the years ahead,” he said.
“Turkish Airlines has been recognised as the best airline in Europe by Skytrax, and it’s fantastic that so many passengers from Sydney will now have the opportunity to experience their world-class service first-hand.
“I’d like to thank and acknowledge the significant support of the NSW Government and Destination NSW in helping make this possible. Their collaboration continues to be instrumental in driving tourism and international connectivity for Sydney and the broader region.”
Turkish Airlines’ Sydney and Melbourne services, the latter of which began in March, were made possible because the federal government last year relaxed Australia’s bilateral air services agreement with Türkiye. The carrier has ordered 15 longer-range A350-1000s capable of making the non-stop journey from Istanbul to Australia’s east coast.
The Turkish flag carrier was in December granted an initial 21 flights per week under bilateral air service agreements, increasing to 28 in the latter half of 2024 and 35 next year, as well as the fifth freedom rights necessary to fly via countries like Singapore and Malaysia.
