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Turkish Airlines is set to ramp up its services from Sydney, moving to daily flights early next year.
The carrier will increase its Sydney–Istanbul services from four to five per week in mid-June this year, then six in October, and finally daily from 12 January. Flights will be operated using A350-900s via Kuala Lumpur, shifting to non-stop next year when longer-range aircraft arrive.
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“Turkish Airlines’ decision to ramp up to daily services so soon after launching in Sydney is a tremendous vote of confidence in the strength of the market,” said Greg Botham, Sydney Airport’s group executive for aviation growth and group strategy.
“This expansion will provide even greater connectivity between Australia and Türkiye, benefiting both business and leisure travellers.
“It confirms Sydney Airport as Turkish Airlines’ leading gateway in Australia, reinforcing our position as the country’s premier international hub.
“We’re also excited by the prospect of a future non-stop service to Istanbul, which will make travel between our two countries even more seamless.”
Sydney is 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.
Turkish Airlines’ Melbourne and Sydney services, which began in March and December respectively, were made possible because the federal government in 2023 relaxed Australia’s bilateral air services agreement with Türkiye.
The Turkish flag carrier was in December 2023 granted an initial 21 flights per week under bilateral air service agreements, increasing to 28 in the latter half of 2024 and 35 this year, as well as the fifth freedom rights necessary to fly via countries like Singapore and Malaysia.
The airline has ordered 15 longer-range A350-1000s capable of making the non-stop journey from Istanbul to Australia’s east coast. Istanbul–Sydney is Turkish Airlines’ longest-ever flight path, chief executive Bilal Ekşi said in December.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
