Turkish Airlines to launch flights to Australia in March

Qantas, which partners with Emirates, was the only airline known to have objected to Qatar’s request for extra flights, which would have reduced airfares on European routes and generated hundreds of thousands of extra dollars in tourism revenue.

Australia’s bilateral air service agreement with the United Arab Emirates stipulates that Emirates and Etihad may collectively operate 168 weekly services to Australia’s four biggest airports. They are collectively operating 70.

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Etihad is carrying 60 per cent fewer passengers to the UAE from Australia than it did before 2019, while Emirates is carrying about 15 per cent fewer passengers. Emirates trails only Qantas in carrying the largest number of passengers out of Australia.

Although three services a week to one of Australia’s key airports may not seem like a lot, Turkish Airlines has been approved to fly up to 35 services a week to Australia’s key airports from 2025, which will add significant capacity to Europe.