Turkish Airlines Expands in Australia with New Flights to Sydney

Turkish Airlines is strengthening its foothold in the South Pacific and Oceania region by adding Sydney to its global route map, solidifying its position as the airline that flies to more countries than any other.

Following its March 2024 launch of flights to Melbourne, the airline now takes a major step toward connecting Istanbul with Australia’s most iconic city.

Sydney with an Airbus A350-900

Starting December 4, Turkish Airlines will fly from Istanbul to Sydney four times weekly. Although the airline will use its newest member of the fleet—an Airbus A350-900—the immense distance between the two cities requires a refueling stop.

Photo: Turkish Airlines, Airbus A350-900. Courtesy of TJ Bearfly.

For now, passengers must endure a brief layover in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, before continuing the journey to Sydney.

This new route provides a direct connection between Turkey and Australia and operates as a “fifth freedom” flight, allowing travelers to fly exclusively between Kuala Lumpur and Sydney on Turkish Airlines.

Filling the Gaps

Turkish Airlines has one of the largest global networks among all airlines, covering more countries than any other. However, the airline has been missing a presence in the South Pacific for a long time.

Sydney / Photo: Courtesy of David Mitchener

In 2013, the airline had plans to operate direct flights between Istanbul and Sydney, but those plans were postponed. Now, after more than a decade, Turkish Airlines is finally making its dream of serving Australia a reality.

In March, the airline launched its first Australian service to Melbourne via Singapore. With the addition of Sydney, Turkish Airlines is now expanding its presence in the region.

Nonstop in Sight

The airline’s Chairman, Ahmet Bolat, noted that Sydney would be the first Australian destination to benefit from nonstop flights once aircraft technology allows. “Sydney will be our first destination in Australia to have nonstop flights when we receive the aircraft capable of making the journey in a single leg,” he announced Thursday.

Photo: Turkish Airlines has 15 Airbus A350-1000s on order. Courtesy of Airbus

This means that Turkish Airlines is positioning itself for future direct connections between Istanbul and Australia, even as other carriers—like Qantas with its ambitious Project Sunrise—plan ultra-long-haul flights to destinations like London and New York.

Qantas and Turkish Airlines are eagerly anticipating the delivery of the ultra-long-range Airbus A350-1000 aircraft, which will enable them to operate nonstop flights lasting 22 hours or more.

Qantas plans to introduce nonstop flights from Melbourne and Sydney to New York and London by 2026. Once the aircraft type is successfully in operation on the Australian routes, Turkish Airlines may also explore the possibility of launching nonstop flights to other long-reach destinations.

Flight Details

With the announcement of the new route to Sydney, Turkish Airlines has already released its schedule, and tickets are now on sale globally.

The new route between Istanbul and Sydney will cover a massive 9,300 miles, which is set to become the longest operated by the airline, surpassing the current service to Melbourne and Santiago, Chile, by leaps and bounds.

Photo: Courtesy of Denver International Airport

For travelers interested in this new route, the full schedule of Turkish Airlines flights to Sydney is as follows:

• TK174 departs Istanbul at 3:15 PM and arrives in Kuala Lumpur at 6:20 AM.
• TK174 then departs Kuala Lumpur at 7:40 AM and lands in Sydney at 6:30 PM.
• TK175 departs Sydney at 8:40 PM and arrives in Kuala Lumpur at 1:55 AM.
• TK175 then departs Kuala Lumpur at 3:55 AM and returns to Istanbul at 10:15 AM.

As Turkish Airlines strengthens its presence in the Asia-Pacific region by adding Sydney to its network—alongside its existing service to Melbourne—the expansion allows the airline to compete in the Australia-Europe corridor, providing passengers with more options and convenience.

As Bolat summarized, “This expansion represents a significant step forward in our mission to connect more people around the world. We are excited to welcome Sydney to our global network and look forward to offering our passengers the best possible travel experience.”