Turkish Airlines to start flights to Australia

Starting in mid-March, Turkish Airlines will launch flights from Istanbul to Melbourne, its first destination in Australia.

Three reciprocal flights will run every week between Istanbul and Melbourne with a stop in Singapore, according to a statement from the national flag carrier on Friday.

"We are excited to add Melbourne as our 346th destination to our flight network. Australia, with its natural beauty and hospitable people, becomes the 130th country and 6th continent under our wings," said Ahmet Bolat, chairman of Turkish Airlines.

The new flights will increase Melbourne's access to the European, Middle Eastern, Balkan, and African markets via Istanbul, contributing to tourism, international education, business, and trade potential, the statement said.

Established in 1933, Turkish Airlines flies to 345 destinations in 129 countries with a fleet of 440 aircraft.

83.4M passengers in 2023

Turkish Airlines carried 83.4 million passengers in 2023, an annual surge of 16.1 percent.

The passenger load factor, or seat occupancy, rose by 1.9 points to 82.6 percent last year – 84.3 percent on domestic flights and 82.4 percent on international flights.

Available Seat Kilometers (ASK) offered by the national flag carrier gained 16.4 percent at an annualised pace to 234.8 billion in 2023.

As of the end of last year, Turkish Airlines flies to 340 destinations with its fleet of 440, including passenger and cargo planes.