Turkish Airlines has touched down at Sydney Airport (SYD) after completing its longest ever flight and officially launching the new service from Istanbul to Australia’s capital.
The Turkish Airlines Boeing 777-300ER landed on November 29, 2024, shortly before 18:20, with the carrier’s CEO Bilal Ekşi on board the inaugural flight.
The new service to Sydney began on November 28, 2024, from Istanbul Airport (IST), before stopping in Kuala Lumpa after an almost 10-hour flight.
After less than an hour, the Boeing 777 was off again for the final eight-hour journey and was welcomed in Sydney by airport officials after finally touching down.
“This momentous occasion marks Turkish Airlines’ longest flight path in history, as we happily add our second Australian city to our flight network,” the Turkish Airlines CEO said upon landing. “The arrival of our first flight from Istanbul to Sydney represents our ongoing commitment to connect travellers across the globe, providing a seamless gateway between Europe and Australia with the comfort and hospitality of Turkish Airlines.”
With a stunning display of wing vortices and a graceful approach, Turkish Airlines B777 flight #TK174 touches down at Sydney Airport to a warm ATC welcome: “Turkish 174, it’s a pleasure to have you here.”#TurkishAirlines #TK174 #InauguralFlight #SydneyAirport #TurkeyToSydney https://t.co/t5tbzmFwF0 pic.twitter.com/5lSVK1o7Rz
— Antony Ochieng,KE✈️ (@Turbinetraveler) November 29, 2024
Initially Turkish Airlines will operate four direct services a week from Sydney to Istanbul via Kuala Lumpur, but from June 2025 a fifth service per week will be added.
Then from 2026, the Turkish flag carrier will launch a non-stop service to Sydney from Istanbul with the airline’s new, modern fleet of Airbus A350-900 aircraft.
“Once we receive our aircraft capable of conducting the journey in a single leap, we look forward to further expanding our offering in the near future with Australia’s first non-stop flights to Istanbul,” Ekşi added.
Following the launch of Turkish Airlines’ first flight from Melbourne in March this year, Sydney becomes the second Australian city added to the carrier’s network.
Scott Charlton, CEO of Sydney Airport, said: “We’re proud to welcome our 50th airline partner Turkish Airlines as they launch their inaugural flight to Sydney, strengthening our international network and offering passengers even more choice and connectivity to Europe and beyond through their extensive hub in Istanbul.”
