Turkish Airlines is ramping up its Istanbul-Sydney service to daily operations from 12 January 2026, less than three months after the route's inaugural flight. The carrier will progressively increase frequencies through 2025, moving from the current four-weekly schedule to five-weekly from mid-June and six-weekly from the end of October.
The route is currently operated with an Airbus A350-900 via Kuala Lumpur, with flight TK174 arriving in Sydney at 1935hrs and departing as TK175 at 2115hrs. Pending aircraft delivery schedules, the airline plans to introduce a non-stop Istanbul-Sydney service in 2026.
Sydney Airport Group Executive for Aviation Growth and Group Strategy Greg Botham said the decision to ramp up so quickly was "a tremendous vote of confidence in the strength of the market." He added that the expansion would provide greater connectivity between Australia and Türkiye for both business and leisure travellers, and confirmed Sydney Airport as Turkish Airlines' leading Australian gateway.
Turkish Airlines launched the Sydney route in November 2024, adding a new link to Europe and boosting visitor numbers to New South Wales. In its first year, the route is expected to deliver an additional 68,620 inbound seats to Sydney Airport, support more than 290 jobs, and generate an estimated $53 million for the NSW visitor economy.
The service was established with support from the NSW Government's Aviation Attraction Fund, administered by Destination NSW, which has helped secure more than 40 routes for the state.
Why it matters
The rapid frequency increase signals strong demand on the Australia-Türkiye corridor and underscores Sydney's role as Turkish Airlines' primary Australian gateway. For travel trade partners, the expansion adds significant capacity and could stimulate two-way tourism between NSW and Türkiye, particularly if the planned non-stop service materialises. The NSW government's targeted route-attraction funding continues to yield measurable economic benefits, with the airline's commitment reinforcing Sydney's competitive position as an international hub in the Asia-Pacific.
