Turkish Airlines: non-stop flights to Australia in 2026

Turkish Airlines has only just planted its flag in Australia, with flights via Singapore to Melbourne now underway and Sydney to follow by year’s end.

But soon those will be converted to non-stop flights, powered by a fleet of ultra-long range Airbus A350 jets.

Speaking to media following the arrival of the inaugural flight from Istanbul to Melbourne, Turkish Airlines chairman Professor Ahmet Bolat expected direct flights to Australia in 2026.

“In 2026, with our A350-1000 with advanced engines, we will be able to fly to Australia direct from Istanbul,” Bolat said, tipping delivery of the A350-1000s from late 2026.

The flight will take around 17 hours, shaving two hours off the current 19-hour ‘Singapore stopover’ route, with all passengers enjoying fast free WiFi.

The A350-1000s – which will be fitted with Turkish Airlines’ new Crystal business class suites – are part of a blockbuster airplane order worth more than US$40 billion at sticker price for over 200 Airbus jets, with options for over 100 more.

This includes 15 A350-1000s, which will power Qantas’ planned non-stop marathons connecting Sydney and Melbourne to London and New York – although these Project Sunrise A350s will be modified with an additional fuel tank and a weight-saving ‘premium-heavy’ seating configuration in order to travel the 17,000km between Sydney/Melbourne and London.

However, the 15,000km distance between Sydney/Melbourne and Istanbul falls within the range of the standard A350-1000, especially since Airbus recently boosted the twinjet’s scope to almost 16,500km.

Bolat says upgraded “higher-capacity” Rolls-Royce engines will match the A350-1000’s globe-striding range with the ability to carry a full load of passengers.

“Right now we can come direct from Istanbul to Melbourne with a Boeing 787, but with less passengers, only 100.”

Bolat said those jets would also fly non-stop to South American destinations such as Santiago and Bueno Aires.

As Turkish Airlines ramps up its push into Australian skies, the airline is offering a free status match to woo Qantas frequent flyers across to its Miles&Smiles loyalty programme.