Turkish Airlines will begin non-stop flights to Australia in 2026, with Sydney first in line for the 17-hour marathons.
The news comes as Turkish Airlines today confirmed the launch of Istanbul-Sydney flights from December 2024, with a stopover in Kuala Lumpur.
Those Sydney flights will switch to non-stops from late 2026, when the Star Alliance member takes delivery of its first ultra-long range Airbus A350-1000 jets.
“This announcement of direct flights marks a significant milestone for travel to Europe, offering passengers seamless access to hundreds of destinations from Turkish Airlines’ Istanbul hub,” says Sydney Airport CEO, Scott Charlton.
“We are proud that Turkish Airlines has chosen Sydney and NSW for their first non-stop service which is a strong endorsement of everything our city and state has to offer.”
And 2026 looks like being the year of globe-striding nonstop flights for Sydney, as it will also be the launchpad for Qantas’ ambitious Project Sunrise flights to London and New York.
Melbourne is tipped to see its current Istanbul-via-Singapore flight converted to a non-stop service in 2027.
Turkish Airlines’ A350-1000 Crystal Business Class suites.
The direct flights will shave around three hours off the current 20-hour stopover routes, with all passengers enjoying fast free WiFi to stay connected above the clouds.
Turkish Airlines has inked a deal for 15 long-legged A350-1000s, which will be fitted with the carrier’s next-gen Crystal Business Class suites.
This is the same plane which will power Qantas’ own non-stop Project Sunrise flights, but without the additional fuel tank and weight-saving ‘premium-heavy’ seating configuration required to travel the 17,000km between Sydney/Melbourne and London.
That’s because the 15,000km distance from Istanbul to Sydney and Melbourne falls within the range of the standard A350-1000, especially since Airbus recently boosted the twinjet’s scope to almost 16,500km.
Speaking with Executive Traveller in March this year, following the arrival of the inaugural flight from Istanbul to Melbourne, Turkish Airlines chairman Professor Ahmet Bolat said his A350-1000s would get a boost from “advanced higher-capacity” Rolls-Royce engines, enabling the jet to carry a full load of passengers.
“Right now we can come direct from Istanbul to Melbourne with a Boeing 787, but with less passengers, only 100.”
Bolat said the A350-1000s jets would also fly non-stop to South American destinations such as Santiago and Buenos Aires.
Stay informed: Click here to sign up to the free Executive Traveller newsletter