One of the biggest airlines in the world, Turkish Airlines, will soon fly in and out of Sydney in a move expected to put downward pressure on airfares to Europe, the Middle East and Africa ahead of the December holiday season.
Turkish Airlines will launch four weekly flights from Sydney through Kuala Lumpur in December before starting non-stop flights between Istanbul and Sydney sometime in 2026, pending aircraft delivery schedules. The airline already operates A350S from Melbourne through Singapore.
Turkish Airlines will soon fly from Sydney to Istanbul. Credit: Turkish Airlines
Istanbul is one of the biggest airport hubs in the world and Turkish Airlines services 110 European destinations – more than any other airline globally.
Sydney Airport boss Scott Charlton said the carrier’s entry showed the airport could accommodate more airlines despite slot constraints plaguing domestic routes. About 65 per cent of Sydney Airport’s slots are used, with about 10 per cent free during the morning peak.
“There’s this persistent narrative that Sydney Airport is full, which clearly isn’t the case,” Charlton said.
“We’ve announced eight new airlines in the past two years, and we’ve got a strong pipeline of international airlines we’re talking to.”
About 2.6 million people passed through Sydney Airport over last year’s December holiday peak – a 500,000 person increase on the pandemic-constrained year prior. According to its latest trading update, about 10 million people passed through its terminals over the past three months – about 95 per cent of its pre-pandemic capacity.
Turkish Airlines placed one of the biggest aircraft orders in the world with Airbus in 2023. It is awaiting 220 deliveries including 150 A321neos and 70 A350s, and has an option for 135 more. It is expected to fly 15 A350-1000s on the Sydney-to-Istanbul route.
The Australian government issued Turkey fifth freedom rights at the end of last year. This gives Turkish Airlines the ability to fly up to 35 services to Australia every week and stop over in the Middle East or South-East Asia.
Transport Minister Catherine King and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese were embroiled in an air rights scandal in 2023 when most of the aviation, trade and tourism industry objected to the government’s decision to reject Qatar Airways from doubling its flights to Australia.
The move to block Qatar Airways resulted in a Senate inquiry and allegations of Qantas wielding undue influence over the government. The Emirates partner was the only known airline to have objected to Qatar’s request for extra flights, which would have reduced airfares on European routes and generated hundreds of thousands of extra dollars in tourism revenue.
Turkish Airlines formally applied for bilateral air rights with Australia at the end of last year. Qatar Airways has also re-applied and new Qantas boss Vanessa Hudson has ruled out lodging an opposition to the application.
Competition is not the only factor in determining airfares. There are two wars involving the major oil-producing regions – Russia and the Middle East – which is driving up the cost of jet fuel, and many countries are about to begin enforcing sustainable aviation fuel mandates, which will result in higher airfares if Australia does not provide the right policy settings to develop local production of biofuels.
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