THY Turkish Airlines....again

[ontimeexceptacars]

Not new, but updated via Aviation Week.

Turkish Airlines has updated its route development priorities, outlining 25 cities globally that it intends to add to its network.

The Star Alliance member has released its latest list of future destinations, which includes eight international points in Europe, four in the Americas, nine in the Middle East and Africa, and two in the Asia-Pacific region. Two domestic points in Turkey are also included.

Among the destinations listed is Atyrau, a city in western Kazakhstan on the Caspian Sea. Turkish Airlines currently serves four destinations in Kazakhstan, flying up to double-daily to Almaty, daily to Astana and 2X-weekly to both Aktau and Turkistan.

Should the carrier launch a route to Atyrau Airport (GUW), it would become GUW's second connection to Istanbul Airport alongside Air Astana’s 3X-weekly service. Other European routes offered from GUW include Air Astana’s flights to Amsterdam; Antalya, Turkey; and Kutaisi, Georgia. Russia’s Aeroflot also operates to the city from Moscow Sheremetyevo.

Turkish Airlines’ list of other future destinations includes other seven international points in Europe—namely Bergen, Norway; Glasgow, Scotland; Iasi and Timisoara, Romania; Katowice, Poland; Nantes, France; and Newcastle, England—alongside domestic points Bayburt and Yozgat in Turkey.

In the Middle East and Africa, the Star Alliance member is eyeing flights to Abha, Saudi Arabia; Aswan, Egypt; Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo; Hargeisa, Somaliland; Lome, Togo; Port Sudan, Sudan; Salalah, Oman; and Windhoek, Namibia.

Two points in the Asia-Pacific region have been earmarked as future destinations—to Phnom Penh, Cambodia; and Sydney, Australia—as well as four in the Americas region to Lima, Peru; Orlando, U.S.; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and Santiago, Chile.

Turkish Airlines has already said it intends to add Santiago “based on market conditions” and could make Sydney its second destination in Australia before the end of the year. Speaking at the Farnborough Airshow in July, Chairman Ahmet Bolat told Aviation Week that the carrier will either increase frequencies to Melbourne or add a new route to Sydney.

“We will grow in Australia,” Bolat said. “Maybe in two years we’ll have daily flights to both Melbourne and Sydney, but later this year we'll either increase the frequency of Melbourne or add Sydney. We are still debating.”

Turkish Airlines increased its passenger traffic by 7.7% in the second quarter of 2024, carrying 22.1 million passengers. Its capacity during the period was 38% higher than pre-pandemic levels, despite aircraft delivery delays and groundings.

David Casey is Editor in Chief of Routes, the global route development community's trusted source for news and information.

[kmea]

It's clearly a good sign from their perspective that they are interested in a GLA connection. I guess it begs the question of how many identified last year have been brought to reality, and are they being proactive or, shock-horror, are management at GLA the bottleneck...

[Clive]

It's clearly a good sign from their perspective that they are interested in a GLA connection. I guess it begs the question of how many identified last year have been brought to reality, and are they being proactive or, shock-horror, are management at GLA the bottleneck...

No need for the last sentence unless you’ll apply it to all cities on the list. Of course GLA bosses would move heaven and earth to get TK on board if that was a possibility. And it is.

[Iain]

The outstanding question is the timescale - 6 months? 1 year? 5 years?

[GeorgeNTravels]

It's clearly a good sign from their perspective that they are interested in a GLA connection. I guess it begs the question of how many identified last year have been brought to reality, and are they being proactive or, shock-horror, are management at GLA the bottleneck...

Looking at the 2033 strategy published last year they identified 21 routes for 2021-2023 of which 18 were launched.

Looking at "future routes" they identified 29 destinations of which 5 have either already started or have been announced for the rest of the year.

The attached image highlights the routes that have either started or are announced.

*EDIT* Turns out I missed EWR from the 2021-2023 routes section

[GKirk]

GLA and NCL have both been mentioned for the last 3 years

[GeorgeNTravels]

It's clearly a good sign from their perspective that they are interested in a GLA connection. I guess it begs the question of how many identified last year have been brought to reality, and are they being proactive or, shock-horror, are management at GLA the bottleneck...

Looking at the 2033 strategy published last year they identified 21 routes for 2021-2023 of which 18 were launched.

Looking at "future routes" they identified 29 destinations of which 5 have either already started or have been announced for the rest of the year.

The attached image highlights the routes that have either started or are announced.

*EDIT* Turns out I missed EWR from the 2021-2023 routes section

TK announced Sydney this morning, starting in December, another destination crossed off the list of places they mentioned

[egpffqtv]

It's clearly a good sign from their perspective that they are interested in a GLA connection. I guess it begs the question of how many identified last year have been brought to reality, and are they being proactive or, shock-horror, are management at GLA the bottleneck...

Looking at the 2033 strategy published last year they identified 21 routes for 2021-2023 of which 18 were launched.

Looking at "future routes" they identified 29 destinations of which 5 have either already started or have been announced for the rest of the year.

The attached image highlights the routes that have either started or are announced.

*EDIT* Turns out I missed EWR from the 2021-2023 routes section

TK announced Sydney this morning, starting in December, another destination crossed off the list of places they mentioned

Very short lead in time for a December 2024 start but I’m sure they’ll do well and fill the flights quickly with folk wanting to head Down Under for Christmas. Flight to operate via KUL with 5th freedom rights I’m sure I read earlier.

[PiperOne]

Clearly the focus is on long haul at the moment. Short haul expansion is likely hampered by the A321neo fleet using PW engines which have had ongoing issues for some time.

A note on that, 23 out of 90 A321-271NX parked at the moment with engine issues, so likely to hamper growth plans for a while.