Australia and Turkey have agreed to increase the number of flights between the two countries, and the agreement will take effect from the current winter timetable.
It is now possible to fly between these two countries 21 times a week from the cities of Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney, and the new Western Sydney Airport.
From the winter schedule of 2024, the number of flights increases to 28 per week from the cities of Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney, and the new Western Sydney Airport.
From the winter schedule in 2025, there will be a final increase to 35 flights per week from the cities of Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney, and the new Western Sydney Airport.
After 2025, further increases in the number of flights are possible, but they have not been defined.
Airlines flying between Turkey and Australia are allowed to make stopovers at two airports and have the opportunity to use fifth freedom rights, and the reason is due to the lack of aircraft that can fly between Turkey and Australia. Airlines can have a stopover in South Asia, Southeast Asia, or the Middle East. Turkish Airlines is very likely to use Singapore as an intermediate point between Istanbul and Australia.
The fifth air freedom allows the carrier, for example on the route from Istanbul to Sydney, to make a stopover in Singapore, and on the part of the flight from Singapore to Sydney, they can sell tickets and transport passengers.
Cargo flights are allowed to have 21 flights per week with any type of aircraft and can have a stopover point anywhere or have the right to continue the flight after landing in Sydney to any airport.
Turkish Airlines is currently the only airline from Turkey interested in flying to Australia, while Qantas released no information on whether or not it wants to launch flights to Turkey.
The entry of Turkish Airlines into the market connecting primarily Europe and Australia will certainly mean a great competition to the existing carriers that transport passengers from Europe to Australia. The only European airline that does this is British Airways, while all the others have given up on flying to Australia. They fly from Europe to hubs in Asia and rely on their partners who carry passengers from those hubs to Australia. Turkish Airlines has a very large network of destinations in Europe, which is why it is at a greater advantage compared to all other carriers who have fewer destinations in Europe, and mostly fly to the biggest cities and biggest hubs. Turkish flies to almost every slightly larger city in Europe.
Among the major carriers that offer transportation to Australia are Singapore Airlines, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Cathay Pacific, etc.
