Türkiye's low-cost carrier AJet, a subsidiary of flag carrier Turkish Airlines (THY), has launched direct flights from Ankara to Madrid and Barcelona, expanding the capital's international connectivity as part of a broader regional tourism strategy.
The Ankara-Madrid service began on Oct. 23, 2025, operating three days a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. The Ankara-Barcelona route commenced the following day, Oct. 24, 2025, with four weekly flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
The new routes were announced at a press conference in Ankara on Oct. 22, where Turkish Airlines board chairperson Ahmet Bolat and AJet CEO Kerem Sarp detailed the carrier's growth plans and the ANKARA+ project.
Bolat said the initiative aims to position Ankara as an international tourism gateway, promoting the capital and its surrounding region, which encompasses 15 provinces. "We ensure that tourists visiting Ankara have unique experiences in surrounding destinations after their stay in the capital," he said.
As part of the project, five-day packages are being designed for travellers interested in history, culture and adventure, with itineraries such as two days in Ankara and three days in Cappadocia. Bolat said the project would create an ecosystem allowing all cities in the region to benefit from tourism growth, and would also leverage Ankara's higher education and health sectors to attract more international visitors.
Sarp said the ANKARA+ project, developed with Turkish Airlines, promotes Ankara, central Anatolia and 11 surrounding provinces as tourism destinations. He cited data indicating that Ankara and its surrounding provinces could attract 14 million tourists, representing significant potential for regional tourism. "To highlight this potential in Ankara and its surrounding area, we regularly conduct promotional, advertising and influencer projects," he added.
AJet currently operates from Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport and Ankara Esenboğa Airport to 101 destinations across 34 countries, including 60 international and 41 domestic routes. From Esenboğa, the airline serves 35 cities in 26 countries. So far in 2025, AJet has added flights from Ankara to Tbilisi, Cairo, Damascus, Barcelona and Madrid.
Sarp also outlined fleet expansion plans. Since August, the carrier has added six ex-factory Boeing 737-8 MAX aircraft, bringing its fleet to 86 aircraft. By the end of 2026, 70% of the fleet will consist of new-generation aircraft, rising to 85% by 2028 and 100% by 2033.
AJet is also set to add Irbil and Baghdad in Iraq as destinations from Ankara by the end of 2025, and plans to add nine cities in five new countries to its Ankara network by the end of 2026.
Why it matters
The launch of direct flights from Ankara to Madrid and Barcelona marks a deliberate shift in Türkiye's tourism strategy, channelling international arrivals beyond the traditional coastal and Istanbul-centric hubs. By tying air service to the ANKARA+ project, the carrier is attempting to convert the capital into a base for multi-destination itineraries that include Cappadocia and other central Anatolian sites.
For the travel trade, the new routes create additional inbound options for tour operators building Türkiye packages, particularly those targeting history- and culture-focused travellers. The stated potential of 14 million visitors for the region underscores the scale of the opportunity, though realising it will depend on sustained promotion and ground-transport integration.
AJet's fleet modernisation and network expansion from Ankara also signal growing low-cost capacity in the Turkish market, which could pressure fares on both domestic and international segments. The addition of Iraqi cities and further new countries by 2026 suggests Ankara's role as a secondary hub is set to deepen, offering more choices for both leisure and VFR traffic.
