Turkish Airlines slots into Sydney Airport as plans non-stop flight to Istanbul
Turkish Airlines is upping the ante on Qantas with plans to become the first carrier to fly non-stop between Sydney and Europe.
Turkish Airlines plans to become the first carrier to fly non-stop between Australia’s east coast and Europe, beating Qantas to the punch, after announcing the launch of Sydney-Istanbul flights from December.
Initially the services will operate via Kuala Lumpur, but it is expected the flights will go non-stop in 2026 when Turkish takes delivery of new A350-1000s.
Qantas is also awaiting specially configured A350-1000s to fly 20 hour-plus flights from Sydney or Melbourne to London and New York, expected to start in late 2026.
The so-called Project Sunrise flights have been described as a “game changer” for the aviation industry by connecting Australians to virtually any world city with a single flight.
Sydney-Istanbul will be Turkish Airlines’ second route from Australia after starting flights from Melbourne via Singapore in March.
International airline activity data for June showed the Melbourne services were performing very well for Turkish Airlines on outbound routes, but not so well inbound with lots of empty seats.
From December 5, the carrier will start four direct services a week from Sydney using A350-900 aircraft, in a two-cabin configuration with 32 business class seats and 297 in economy.
Sydney Airport chief executive Scott Charlton said the announcement of direct flights marked a “significant milestone for travel to Europe”.
“We are proud that Turkish Airlines has chosen Sydney and New South Wales for their first non-stop service which is a strong endorsement of everything our city and state has to offer,” Mr Charlton said.
“In the meantime, passengers will get to experience Turkish Airlines’ award-winning service from Sydney to Istanbul via Kuala Lumpur in December 2024.”
With more than 15,000 Turkish-born Australians in NSW and Turkiye consistently rated as one of the top destinations for Australian travellers, Mr Charlton said he was confident the flights would be strongly supported.
Turkish Airlines chairman of the board and executive committee Ahmet Bolat said the new route would “enhance the carrier’s global network, and reaffirm their commitment to connecting passengers with new opportunities and experiences”.
“Sydney represents a vibrant gateway to the southern hemisphere, and we are thrilled to offer our travellers unparalleled access to this dynamic city,” Dr Bolat said.
“This expansion underscores our dedication to growing our network and providing exceptional service, bridging continents and bringing people closer together.”
Speaking at the CAPA Airline Leader Summit in Brisbane on Thursday, Qantas International chief Cam Wallace said “competition was a good thing”.
“It keeps us on our toes and we want that competitive intensity,” Mr Wallace said.
In the international space Qantas competed with 56 airlines, and Mr Wallace said on the domestic front he expected “new competitors to emerge” following the exit of Bonza and Rex.
“History shows there will be a third and fourth and fifth competitor (in the domestic market) because it’s a very seductive industry,” he said.
“The constraints and the challenges will always be there and the relatively small population base — those things aren’t changing soon but for us competition is a good thing.”
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