Victoria wins the battle to welcome direct services from Turkish Airlines to Melbourne

Turkish Airlines

After many months of intense negotiations, Melbourne Airport has emerged victorious in the race to secure direct services from Turkish Airlines to our amazing state.

Victoria Tourism Industry Council CEO, Felicia Mariani, said it was a proud day for Melbourne and Victoria as this announcement has been a long time in coming and will be incredibly important in driving the further return of international performance for our state.

“Negotiations to win the right to these direct services from Istanbul to Australia has been a hotly contested battle between the nation’s two prominent gateway cities, and the decision by Turkish Airlines to launch their first ever flights to Australia with direct services to Melbourne is a strong reflection of their confidence in our destination to be a viable and successful partner in this corner of the globe, Ms Mariani said.

“With a Turkish community here in Melbourne that exceeds anywhere else in Australia; supported by a globally recognised event reputation across, sport, arts and culture, and culinary delights, we produced a powerful recipe that led to the decision to bring these services to Melbourne.”

With 345 destinations already in its network, Turkish Airlines flies to more countries around the world than any other international carrier, with an extensive network across Europe and Africa. This new service will also deliver the only European airline to fly to Melbourne Airport.

“Highlighting just how critical it is for Melbourne to be added to the Turkish Airlines network, Istanbul has now emerged as one of the most important transit hubs in the world and will deliver a direct and seamless connection for visitors across the globe to our fabulous destination, said Ms Mariani.

“Melbourne Airport has already reached the pinnacle of being the first Australian airport to exceed its pre-pandemic international seat capacity, and the addition of Turkish Airlines to that performance means we continue to lead the nation in taking our destination to the world.”

“With our spend by international visitors sitting at just over 60% of levels achieved in 2019, securing these direct services from key markets around the world to our state is a vital ingredient to our full recovery and growth as a destination.”

“This announcement today is a call to pause and celebrate, not just that we have won a vital battleground in securing these services, but to appreciate the reputation and profile that Victoria enjoys in key global markets who see us a strong and attractive destination with which to partner.”
* Anne Wright at a.wright@cprcomm.com.au