Turkish Airlines eyeing Auckland-Istanbul flights – report

A Turkish Airlines Airbus A350 comes in to land. It is using the aircraft type for flights to Australia. Photo / AFP

Turkish Airlines — one of the world’s biggest carriers — is eyeing New Zealand for flights, according to a report from Turkey.

The fast-growing airline last year started fights between Australia and Istanbul (via Singapore) and its chairman this weekend has been reported as saying Auckland would be among new destinations.

Chairman Ahmet Bolat announced plans to launch services to Minneapolis in April or May this year and also to Auckland, Turkish website Turizm ekonomi reported.

The Auckland flight would also stop in Singapore.

Bolat said that with the flight, Turkish Airlines would have the biggest flight network in the world and there has been speculation earlier the airline was eyeing New Zealand.

The announcement came during the Turkish Airlines Management Summit 2025 in Antalya.

Under a 2010 air services agreement, New Zealand airlines can serve any point in Turkey, via any intermediate point, and beyond to any other point. Turkish airlines have reciprocal rights.

Turkish started flying in 1933 and now services 350 destinations in about 130 countries.

As of June last year, Turkish had a fleet comprising 125 twin-aisle, 307 single-aisle passenger aircraft and 25 cargo aircraft. It had a total workforce of 56,000.

Half owned by Turkey’s sovereign wealth fund, in the 2023 financial year it had revenue of US$21 billion ($37b).

Services between Istanbul and Melbourne are initially operating three times a week via Singapore, with reports stating non-stop flights are planned when new long-haul aircraft arrive.

It will use Boeing 777s, 787-9s and Airbus A350s on the Melbourne route.

The airline started four times-a-week flights to Sydney in December.

It could use A350-1000s – the same planes as Qantas will use on its Project Sunrise flights to London and New York – for non-stop flights to Australia, and possibly New Zealand.

Australia’s Executive Traveller magazine last year described the airline’s business class as bringing ‘’fresh five-star style to the skies‘’.

Auckland Airport has been courting airlines in the Middle East and has been asked for comment on the possibility of Turkish flying here. It would be a coup for the airport and add much-needed long-haul capacity to and from New Zealand.

Grant Bradley has been working at the Herald since 1993. He is the Business Herald’s deputy editor and covers aviation and tourism.