Touchdown: Turkish Airlines launches first flight to Melbourne

Turkish Airlines embarks on its inaugural flight to Australia’s Melbourne, marking its presence on a sixth continent with a Boeing 777 carrying 349 passengers

Türkiye’s national flag carrier Turkish Airlines Friday commenced its inaugural flight to Australia’s Melbourne, marking the airline’s expansion to a sixth continent.

The first plane en route to Melbourne departed from Istanbul Airport, TK 168, operated with a Boeing 777 carrying 349 passengers and offering a connection to Singapore.

The first flight to Melbourne was celebrated with the distribution of traditional Turkish delights to passengers upon boarding.

Istanbul to Melbourne flight with Turkish Airlines from March 1 to May 15, 2024, by purchasing tickets between Jan. 19 and April 15, 2024. Fares start at $1199 for Melbourne to Istanbul and from $999 for the reverse route.

Inaugural Flight to Melbourne

Starting March 1, Turkish Airlines will operate three weekly flights to Melbourne, its 346th destination across 130 countries. This service aims to enhance tourism and trade between the two countries by annually transporting thousands of visitors on the Istanbul-Melbourne route.

As the only European airline to serve Melbourne Airport with connections through Singapore, Turkish Airlines has increased its global footprint to 346 destinations, including its new service to Australia, the world’s sixth continent.

‘Sydney soon’

Turkish Airlines’ chairperson Ahmet Bolat, expressed excitement about the new service.

“We are thrilled to start our first service to the sixth continent,” Bolat said, noting the significance of connecting with Australia, a country with a population of 26 million and a high average income. Bolat also referenced the historical connections between Australians and Türkiye, particularly through visits to Türkiye’s half-island Gallipoli.

“Passengers boarding in Melbourne can now reach Türkiye in 19 hours,” Bolat added, emphasizing the reduction in travel time. He also revealed discussions about potentially opening a route to Australia’s Sydney, suggesting possible expansion before the year’s end.

The launch received a commendation from Tony Huber, Australia’s Consul General in Istanbul, who highlighted the importance of the new flight route for both countries. Following their remarks, Bolat and Huber greeted passengers aboard the aircraft, with Bolat presenting Huber a “Turkish Airlines Red” agenda, certified by Pantone.

The flight’s departure was celebrated with a traditional water salute, symbolizing good luck for the journey ahead.

Record-Breaking attention

This inaugural flight garnered global attention, becoming the most-watched flight on Flightradar24. Turkish citizens in Melbourne welcomed the aircraft with flags, showcasing the strong community support for Turkish Airlines’ expansion efforts.

In January, Turkish Airlines transported a total of 6.3 million passengers, marking a 2.7%  increase from the previous year, with the number of international travelers climbing 5.4% to 4.1 million.

Throughout 2023, the airline saw a 16% rise in passenger numbers from the prior year, reaching 83.4 million.

The count of international passengers surged over 14% to 54 million, while domestic passenger numbers grew by 19% to 30.4 million.

Turkish Airlines aims to double its fleet size within the next decade and rank among the world’s top seven airlines, Bolat announced plans in January to increase the fleet from 440 jets currently to 810 by 2033.

Source: Newsroom

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