Turkish Airlines will begin a one-stop service from Sydney to Istanbul from 05 Dec 2024 ahead of a planned expansion to a direct flight within two years.
The Istanbul-based carrier will launch a four-times weekly operation to the NSW capital, flying via Kuala Lumpur, using its Airbus A350-900 aircraft which offers 32 seats in business class and 297 in economy.
Sydney will become Turkish Airlines’ second Australian destination following the launch in Mar this year of flights to Melbourne via Singapore.
Sydney will be the first Australian city to offer non-stop flights to Istanbul once Turkish Airlines takes delivery of its ultra-long range Airbus A350-1000, due in late 2026.
From Istanbul, travellers can then access a network of 340 global cities in 130 countries, among which are 110 destinations in Europe alone.
Sydney Airport CEO Scott Charlton welcomed TK to the city, saying it was the eighth new airline arriving at Sydney Airport in the past two years.
“This announcement of direct flights marks a significant milestone for travel to Europe, offering passengers seamless access to hundreds of destinations from Turkish Airlines’ Istanbul hub,” Charlton said.
“We are proud that Turkish Airlines [chose] Sydney and NSW for their first non-stop service, which is a strong endorsement of everything our city and state has to offer.
“In the meantime, passengers will get to experience Turkish Airlines’ award-winning service from Sydney to Istanbul via Kuala Lumpur in December 2024.”
Destination NSW has estimated the new service will generate more than $53 million in incremental visitor expenditure for NSW over its first year.
