NEW ROUTES 2026: Turkish Airlines plays long game—Australia’s almost-direct route to Europe

• NEW ROUTES 2026: Turkish Airlines plays long game—Australia’s almost-direct route to Europe

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There are some exciting developments of routes that Australians can take between East Coast Australia and Europe. Some are non-traditional, some use newly available ultra long haul aircraft, and some are just airlines with extra aircraft expanding their route structures to add the continent of Australia to their network.

This is the first in a series of posts on these new routes, their pluses and minuses. Let’s start with a route I get to try in a few months’ time.

Introduction

When Australians imagine flying to Europe, they usually picture a trip to the north-west: Dubai, Doha, maybe Singapore and Bangkok, Hong Kong and China at a pinch. But Turkish Airlines has been quietly nudging a different idea into the market — one that reaches Europe at its eastern edge. Think Istanbul in Turkey rather than to the western extreme of London.

Route detail

Currently, with Turkish Airlines, you still stop in Asia, Melbourne via Singapore, Sydney via Kuala Lumpur, but those routes are just a rehearsal. Turkish is waiting on ultra-long-range A350s, and when they arrive, East Coast Australia direct and non-stop to Istanbul suddenly become possible.

Routes operating since: 2024
Non-stop launch: late 2026 — dependent on A350 ULR delivery

Istanbul changes the geography

The big realisation comes when you look at a map. Istanbul, in western Turkey, is almost in Europe, both geographically and politically. It is a candidate for membership of the European Union, but some democratic backsliding has meant ‘it’s complicated’. Your second flight between Istanbul and your desired European destination is shorter, sometimes by hours, compared to routing through the Gulf or Asia.

For travellers heading to Italy, Greece or eastern Europe, this means much less backtracking.

The new Istanbul Airport itself is enormous but surprisingly intuitive. It has excellent lounges, endless food, and was designed by its planners as both a transfer point and a Turkish arrival destination.

Onboard experience

Turkish has built a reputation for its soft product, with proper meals, an onboard Chef in Business Class, fresh bread, and service that feels less scripted and robotic than that of many other big carriers. That production line quality that sometimes pervades otherwise stellar carriers like Emirates and Qatar is reportedly not found on Turkish. I’ll get to test that later this year.

The incoming Crystal Suites will bring doors, wireless charging and larger screens — essentially ticking every modern business-class box. The downside is that Turkish has a great variety of products across its fleet, including some A350’s with interiors that were originally designed for Aeroflot, pre-Ukraine conflict sanctions.

Trip Stops on the route to Europe

Currently, your trip to Istanbul involves a stop in either Singapore or Kuala Lumpur. If you are travelling on to another European destination, then that makes it a two-stop journey. But fares are often sharp and attractive, reflecting that double stop. That makes them worth a try.

Best For

• Mediterranean itineraries
• Travellers who are tired of Gulf hubs of Dubai and Abu Dhabi
• Food-first flyers

Not Ideal For

• Alliance status obsessives tied to Qantas (OneWorld) or Virgin Australia/Velocity (no alliance, and not a partner with Turkish)

Turkish is a member of Star Alliance so you can credit your points to their Miles&Smiles program, or other alliance members such as Air Canada, Thai Airways, Singapore Airlines, Air New Zealand, ANA and others.

2PAXfly Takeout

Turkish Airlines’ move to nonstop flights to Istanbul is exciting. The current routing via Asia also has its advantages, although you do fly the final legs with either Qantas or Malaysian Airlines. It’s also kind of the long way round, depending on your final destination. If you are heading to Turkey, then it’s the best option. If you intend to stay in London as your final destination, expect to be in the air, plus transfers, for 27 hours or more. That’s in contrast to the current QF1, which takes 24 hours. Project Sunrise flights, direct and non-stop between Sydney and London, will reduce that time to around 20 hours.

Watch out for how this affects the pricing of other routes to Europe.