Turkish Airlines is set to launch its new longest route from Istanbul to Sydney via Kuala Lumpur, beginning on November 28. This development comes shortly after the announcement made in September. The flights are timed to capture peak summer demand in Australia and are financially supported by the New South Wales Aviation Attraction Fund.
The airline will now serve two Australian cities, with Sydney becoming its longest route by distance and maximum block time. Initially, the service will operate using a Boeing 777-300ER for the first two flights on November 28 and 30, before transitioning to an Airbus A350-900 starting December 2. The one-stop service will run four times weekly.
Turkish Airlines does not currently have fifth freedom traffic rights for Sydney, unlike its Melbourne flights which operate via Singapore instead of Kuala Lumpur. The flight schedule includes stops in Kuala Lumpur both ways: