Turkish Airlines Expands Network: New Routes, Passenger Growth & Key Markets
Turkish Airlines continues to expand its global presence, serving more countries than any other airline. While United Airlines operates at the most airports, Turkish Airlines’ vast network has recently welcomed several new destinations. This growth reflects the airline’s strategic positioning and its ability to connect millions of passengers through its Istanbul hub.
New Destinations Added in 2024 and 2025
Turkish Airlines has significantly expanded its route network, adding several key destinations in 2024 and 2025.
New Routes in 2024
- Denver (USA)
- Melbourne (Australia)
- Mersin (Turkey) – Replacing Adana
- Santiago de Chile (Chile)
- Sydney (Australia) – Now the airline’s longest route
- Turin (Italy)
- Tripoli Mitiga (Libya)
Upcoming Routes in 2025
- Benghazi (Libya) – Service resumed in January
- Damascus (Syria) – Service resumed in January
- Ohrid (North Macedonia) – Flights to begin in March
Additionally, Auckland (New Zealand) and Minneapolis (USA) are expected to join Turkish Airlines’ network later in 2025. If Auckland is introduced, the route may initially operate via Singapore, making it one of the world’s longest one-stop flights. However, when Turkish Airlines receives its A350-1000 aircraft, a non-stop Istanbul-Auckland service could become the longest non-stop flight globally.
37 Million Connecting Passengers at Istanbul Hub
Turkish Airlines operates from Istanbul Airport, a major global hub. Between October 2023 and October 2024, approximately 37 million passengers connected between two Turkish Airlines flights, averaging over 100,000 daily.
Why Istanbul Airport is Key to Turkish Airlines’ Growth
- Strategic Location: Situated at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
- Strong Domestic Market: Istanbul’s metro area has a population of around 16 million.
- Flexible Fleet: Extensive use of narrow-body aircraft even for long routes, improving efficiency.
- Modern Infrastructure: Built for expansion, unlike some constrained European airports.
- Growing Tourism & Diaspora Travel: High demand for flights from the Turkish diaspora and global tourists.
While Istanbul Airport is well-designed, it can be overwhelmingly large. Taxi times to and from runways can exceed 20 minutes, and while transit times have improved, quick transfers remain a challenge. However, the average wait time has decreased by 31% in the past decade, now standing at 2 hours 31 minutes.
Top Markets for Turkish Airlines’ Connecting Passengers
A breakdown of Turkish Airlines’ 37 million connecting passengers highlights key country-to-country markets. These 10 routes alone accounted for nearly 20% of total traffic.
| Route | Passengers (Roundtrip, Annual) |
|---|---|
| Turkey to Turkey (via Istanbul) | 1.9 million |
| Germany to wider Turkey | 1.3 million |
| US to wider Turkey | 746,000 |
| Italy to wider Turkey | 545,000 |
| UK to wider Turkey | 506,000 |
| France to wider Turkey | 402,000 |
| Spain to wider Turkey | 320,000 |
| Germany to Iran | 306,000 |
| Switzerland to wider Turkey | 302,000 |
| US to India | 296,000 |
Key Observations
- Turkey-to-Turkey travel (via Istanbul) remains the largest market, highlighting strong domestic demand.
- Major traffic flows from Europe to Turkey, reflecting both diaspora travel and tourism growth.
- Germany-Iran and US-India are notable non-Turkish markets, benefiting from lack of direct flights.
Top 15 Connecting City Pairs
Turkish Airlines operates over 500 airport pairs with 10,000+ annual passengers each. The top 15 routes are diverse, covering Europe, South Asia, the Middle East, and North America.
| Route | Passengers (Annual) | Non-Stop Service Available? |
|---|---|---|
| Manchester-Islamabad | 54,000 | No |
| Birmingham-Islamabad | 52,000 | No |
| Paris CDG – Moscow Vnukovo | 49,000 | No |
| Paris CDG – Tehran Imam Khomeini | 44,000 | No |
| Izmir – Şanlıurfa | 42,000 | Yes (Pegasus, SunExpress) |
| Milan Malpensa – Moscow Vnukovo | 42,000 | No |
| Izmir – Trabzon | 41,000 | Yes (Pegasus, SunExpress) |
| Los Angeles – Tehran | 40,000 | No |
| Dubai – Algiers | 39,000 | Yes (Air Algerie, Emirates) |
| New York JFK – Tbilisi | 38,000 | No |
| Toronto – Tehran | 38,000 | No |
| Antalya – Trabzon | 37,000 | Yes (Pegasus, SunExpress) |
| Izmir – Adana/Mersin | 36,000 | Yes (Pegasus, SunExpress) |
| Seattle – Delhi | 34,000 | No |
| Rome – Moscow Vnukovo | 34,000 | No |
Observations
- UK-Pakistan routes dominate, with high demand despite no direct services.
- Routes to Moscow, Tehran, and Tbilisi benefit from political restrictions limiting direct flights.
- Turkey’s domestic routes remain strong despite alternative carriers like Pegasus and SunExpress.
Turkish Airlines continues to expand its global reach, adding new destinations, growing its hub at Istanbul Airport, and strengthening its connecting traffic. The airline benefits from a strategic location, strong domestic and diaspora demand, and a modern hub designed for growth.
With Auckland and Minneapolis likely joining soon, and the potential launch of the longest non-stop flight from Istanbul to Auckland, Turkish Airlines remains a dominant player in global aviation. Additionally, demand for indirect travel to countries like Pakistan, Iran, and India further highlights its importance as a global transit carrier.
As Turkish Airlines continues to grow, it will be interesting to see how it competes with other major global carriers and adapts to evolving travel trends.
