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The London-Istanbul flight market is set to experience significant growth in the summer of 2025, with an average of 24 daily flights planned, ranging from 22 to 26. This represents a substantial increase of 55% compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019, according to Cirium Diio data. Despite the absence of AtlasGlobal since 2020, the airline re-entered the market in March 2023. British Airways has doubled its offerings with new routes, and Turkish Airlines Group has expanded its services.
The London-Istanbul route now boasts more peak summer flights than other popular destinations like Rome and Madrid. AJet, Pegasus, and Turkish Airlines together account for 72% of these flights, while British Airways and Wizz Air UK provide the remainder. Turkish Airlines leads with 43% of services, while AJet contributes the least at 12%.
Turkish Airlines' expansion includes new connections to Sydney and Santiago de Chile, with Benghazi returning to its network in January. Most Turkish Airlines passengers transit through Istanbul Airport rather than flying directly between London and Istanbul. Antalya was their most popular connecting destination from Heathrow and Gatwick over the past year.
