Turkish Airlines is set to return down under

On September 12th 2024, Sydney Airport announced Turkish Airlines will launch direct flights from Sydney to Istanbul via Kuala Lumpur starting December 5th 2024, using an Airbus A350-900 aircraft.

A Turkish Airlines Airbus A350-900

Sydney Airport recently announced that Turkish Airlines will be joining its esteemed network of 50 airlines flying in and out of Sydney. Starting from December 5th 2024, during the peak summer season in Australia and in anticipation of the significant surge in demand during the Christmas season, passengers will have the opportunity to enjoy direct flights to Türkiye via Malaysia, with four flights per week.

TK174 will arrive in New South Wales at 18:30, and TK175 will depart at 20:40. At 8,032 nautical miles (14,968 km) each way, it will become Turkish Airlines’ longest route.

The four weekly flights from Sydney to Istanbul via Kuala Lumpur will be operated by an Airbus A350-900, accommodating up to 329 passengers. Business class will have 32 seats in a 1-2-1 configuration, while economy class will have 297 seats in a 3-3-3 configuration.

This announcement follows Turkish Airlines commencing its first Australia flights earlier this year, connecting Melbourne with its Istanbul base via Singapore.

A Turkish Airlines A350 on final approach

“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,” said Sydney Airport CEO, Scott Charlton.

Turkish Airlines also said it has plans to eventually fly non-stop from Türkiye to Australia with the A350-1000 starting from 2026.