After a slight delay in Malaysia, Turkish Airlines’ inaugural flight from Istanbul to Sydney via Kuala Lumpur was scheduled to touch down at Sydney Airport at approximately 6pm.
Starting today, the airline will operate four direct services a week from Sydney to Istanbul via Kuala Lumpur, the most to any port in Australia. This gives passengers access to Turkish Airline’s extensive network of more than 350 destinations, providing unparalleled connectivity for Australian travellers across Turkey, Europe, and beyond.
From June 2025, a fifth service per week will commence, demonstrating the anticipated popularity of the route. In 2026, the introduction of ultra-long-range aircraft to Turkish Airlines fleet is expected to make the Sydney-Istanbul route a non-stop service, an Australian first.
“We’re proud to welcome our 50th airline partner Turkish Airlines as they launch their inaugural flight to Sydney, strengthening our international network and offering passengers even more choice and connectivity to Europe and beyond through their extensive hub in Istanbul,” Sydney Airport CEO, Scott Charlton, said.
“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.
“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.”
“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 Eksi, 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.”
Turkish Airlines flew into Melbourne earlier this year.
“Turkish Airlines’ arrival in Sydney is a landmark moment that offers a new high-quality option for local travellers to Europe and a boost in visitor numbers to Sydney,” NSW Minister for Jobs and Tourism, John Graham, added.
“This exciting new route from Istanbul was made possible by a financial incentive from the Minns Government.
“We are backing our airports to increase capacity and bring more visitors to NSW, creating jobs and economic growth in our tourism destinations right across the state.
“Bringing more passengers into our airports is part of the Minns Government’s plan to boost jobs and growth in our statewide visitor economy.”
Sydney Airport currently has a 38 per cent share of all Australia-Europe air traffic, and with the arrival of Turkish Airlines is the only Australian airport to have two European carriers, reinforcing Sydney’s status as the premier international gateway for the region. Destination NSW estimates this service will generate more than $53 million in incremental visitor expenditure over the first year and support more than 290 local jobs in NSW.
