November will see Turkish Airlines add a second point in Australia to its network, with the addition of a one-stop service to Sydney.
Starting Nov. 28, the carrier will offer four flights per week between Istanbul Airport (IST) and Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD), with a fuel stop in Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL). The service, which departs KUL for SYD on Nov. 29, will initially be operated using Boeing 777-300ER aircraft before switching to Airbus A350-900s.
Chairman Ahmet Bolat says Sydney will also become Turkish Airlines’ first nonstop destination in Australia once the airline has aircraft capable of making the journey in a single leg, which is expected in 2026. The route would likely use either A350-1000 or Boeing 777X aircraft.
The carrier began flights to Australia in March, opening a one-stop route from IST to Melbourne Airport via Singapore. Bolat told Aviation Week in July that the airline was evaluating whether to take this 3X-weekly service to daily, or whether to start flights to Sydney.
Fellow Star Alliance member Singapore Airlines is also growing its network this month with the addition of a route to Beijing Daxing International Airport. Daily service using 787s begins on Nov. 11, adding to the airline’s existing flights to Beijing Capital International Airport, which currently operate 21X-weekly.
Another eye-catching route starting in November is the launch of AirAsia X’s flights from Kuala Lumpur to Nairobi (NBO), Kenya, making it the only airline to serve continental Africa from Malaysia. The 4X-weekly will be serviced utilizing A330-300 equipment, starting on Nov. 15.
The introduction makes good on AirAsia founder Tony Fernandes’ commitment in February to transform the airline group into a multi-hub network carrier, with flights to Africa from Kuala Lumpur, Europe from Bangkok and North America from Manila. In March, AirAsia X introduced flights from Kuala Lumpur to Almaty, Kazakhstan, its first foray into Central Asia.
Other notable routes starting over the coming weeks include Italy’s flag carrier ITA Airways opening a new service between Rome Fiumicino and Bangkok, starting on Nov. 16 with five weekly frequencies. The new route is the airline’s first connection between Italy and Thailand.
Additionally, Korean Air is further boosting its Japanese network in the fourth quarter, as its flights to this market exceed pre-pandemic levels. Flights between Seoul and Kumamoto, Japan, will start on Nov. 24. The daily service will be mainly operated by A321neo aircraft. This will be the first time Korean has served this route since 1997, when it was suspended due to the Asian financial crisis.
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