Turkish Airlines Launches New Istanbul–Sydney Route

Turkish Airlines has chosen Sydney as its second destination in Australia with service from Istanbul (IST) to Sydney (SYD) via Kuala Lumpur (KUL) set to begin December 5, 2024.

The upcoming launch of this route builds on the existing route to Melbourne (via Singapore), and the Star Alliance carrier also intends to launch non-stop service from Istanbul in 2026.

Turkish Airlines Launches Second Route to Australia

Türkiye’s flag carrier Turkish Airlines has added Sydney, the largest city in Australia, to its robust flight network, making Sydney Australia’s biggest port for Turkish Airlines.

Beginning December 4, 2024, the Star Alliance airline will fly direct from Istanbul (IST) to Sydney (SYD) via Kuala Lumpur (KUL) four times a week with the following flight times:

• TK174 Istanbul (IST) to Kuala Lumpur (KUL), departing 1:15pm, arriving 6:20am the next day
  • Then departing Kuala Lumpur (KUL) 7:40am and arriving in Sydney (SYD) 4:30pm the next day
• TK175 Sydney (SYD) to Kuala Lumpur (KUL) departing 10:40pm and arriving 1:55am the next day
  • Then departing Kuala Lumpur (KUL) 3:55am and arriving in Istanbul (IST) 10:15am the next day

The southbound flight from Istanbul is blocked at 19 hours 40 minutes total (including the stop in Kuala Lumpur), while the northbound flight from Sydney to Istanbul is set to run 20 hours 40 minutes (including the stop in Kuala Lumpur).

The flights will be operated four times a week via Kuala Lumpur with the Airbus A350-900 aircraft, which features a two-class configuration with 32 lie flat business class seats and 297 standard seats in economy class.

According to the airline, adding the new route not only strengthens Turkish Airlines’s presence in Australia, but also continues to bolster ties between the two, driving growth in tourism, trade, and cultural exchange.

Turkish Airlines Board Chair, Prof. Ahmet Bolat, says the new route opens another chapter for the airline within the continent. Adding it “reaffirms our commitment to our presence in Australia as we connect our guests to new opportunities and experiences with the comfort and hospitality of Turkish Airlines.”

The airline says Sydney will also be their first destination in Australia to have non-stop flights once they receive the aircraft capable of making the journey in a single leg. That is expected to happen in 2026 using either the Airbus A350-1000 or Boeing 777X aircraft.

How to Book Turkish Airlines’s New Istanbul–Sydney Route

If you have your eyes on a trip to Australia and want to fly the long way around with Turkish Airlines, you’ll be glad to know that award availability is looking great upon the route’s launch, with two seats available in business class on many dates.

Aeroplan offers flexible routing and competitive award prices, and is likely the best program with which to book Turkish Airlines flights.

A one-way flight from Istanbul (IST) to Sydney (SYD) (via Kuala Lumpur (KUL)) prices out at 65,000 Aeroplan points in economy or 110,000 Aeroplan points in business class.

Alternatively, if you can find award availability from North America, you can piece together a journey and potentially add a stopover in Istanbul (IST) for just 5,000 Aeroplan points more.

To estimate the pricing, you’d need to consult the “Between North America and Pacific zones” section of the Aeroplan Flight Reward Chart.

No matter how you do it, you’ll wind up in the fourth distance band if you piece together flights from North America to Australia via Istanbul.

If you can find award availability on partner airlines, you can expect to pay the following prices:

• 75,000 Aeroplan points in economy
• 115,000 Aeroplan points in business class

Adding a stopover at any point along the way would add 5,000 points to the above totals, plus some taxes and fees.

It’s worth noting that award availability to Australia is notoriously difficult to come by, so having an extra option at our disposal is great, especially with Turkish Airlines.

As for cash rates, Turkish Airlines is offering special “launch” rates for booking until December 31, 2024 with travel until May 31, 2025.

Sample round-trip prices are as follows:

• ~$1,450 (CAD) in economy
• ~$6,400 (CAD) in business class

The new flights to Sydney with Turkish Airlines are available for booking throughout the schedule.

Conclusion

Turkish Airlines has chosen Sydney as its second destination in Australia with service from Istanbul via Kuala Lumpur set to begin December 5, 2024.

The airline will fly from Istanbul (IST) to Sydney (SYD) via Kuala Lumpur (KUL) four times weekly on its Airbus A350-900 aircraft.

In announcing the new route, Turkish Airlines also said Sydney will become their first destination in Australia to have non-stop flights likely in 2026, once they receive the aircraft capable of making the journey in a single leg.