Summary
- Turkish Airlines is increasing its UK flights from Istanbul Airport, with 121 weekly departures expected next summer, a 13% increase from its previous plan.
- The airline can have as much as 20 day by day departures to the UK, with the very best frequency on Saturdays.
- London Heathrow, London Gatwick, and Birmingham have record high frequencies.
Turkish Airlines is certainly one of 4 airlines with non-stop flights between Istanbul Airport and the UK, joining British Airways, Wizz Air, and easyJet. Istanbul’s second airport, Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen, also has flights by Pegasus, AnadoluJet (to be renamed AJet), and BA.
Record Turkish Airlines flights from Istanbul
Turkish Airlines is increasing UK flights from its vast and growing Istanbul Airport hub. As of December eighth, it has scheduled 121 weekly departures. They’ve risen by 13% versus its previous plan last week, adding 14 extra weekly services. Note that I even have only checked out the carrier’s operation from Istanbul Airport, not from elsewhere within the country to the UK.
Photo: Oleh Yatskiv | Shutterstock
It now expects 16 to twenty day by day departures from its hub, as follows. Note that there remains to be no indication when targeted Newcastle and Glasgow will start.
- London Heathrow: 48 weekly (+3);
- Manchester: 21 weekly (unchanged)
- London Gatwick: 24 weekly (+4);
- Birmingham: 18 weekly (+4);
- Edinburgh: 10 weekly (+3);
As much as 20 day by day Istanbul-UK flights
Evaluation of July/August 2024 schedules shows that Turkish Airlines can have 16 departing flights to its hub on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Some 17 will operate on Mondays, 18 on Thursdays and Sundays, and 20 on Saturdays. The next image summarizes how departures vary per airport per day next summer.
Source: Google Flights. Figure: James Pearson
Using Cirium to explore Turkish Airlines’ flights since 2004 indicates that it has never had greater than seven day by day Heathrow-Istanbul departures (now as much as eight), Gatwick not greater than three (now as much as 4), and Birmingham two (now three). Edinburgh returns to its previous maximum, while Manchester’s frequency is maintained.
Snapshot: August tenth, 2024
As a straightforward snapshot of planned activity, consider Saturday, August tenth. (I’m sure I didn’t select this date because it is near my birthday.) That day, all the next will leave the UK. Because it is to date away, things definitely may change.
- 06:45: from Heathrow, A321neo
- 10:45: from Manchester, A321ceo
- 10:50: from Birmingham, 737-800
- 10:50: from Edinburgh, A321ceo
- 10:55: from Gatwick, A321neo
- 11:25: from Heathrow, 777-300ER
- 13:00: from Manchester, A321ceo
- 13:10: from Birmingham, 737-800
- 13:25: from Heathrow: A321neo
- 14:10: from Gatwick, A321neo
- 16:00: from Gatwick, A321neo
- 16:40: from Heathrow, A330-300
- 16:50: from Edinburgh, A320ceo/A321ceo
- 17:00: from Gatwick, A321neo
- 17:10: from Birmingham, A321ceo
- 17:20: from Manchester, A321ceo
- 18:00: from Heathrow, A321neo
- 18:30: from Heathrow, 787-9
- 19:05: from Heathrow, A321neo
- 22:10: from Heathrow, A321neo
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Easy Flying
As you’ll be able to see, things generally fit a transparent pattern. For instance, the ten:45-11:25 departures from the UK left Istanbul early within the morning, having been fed by flights arriving from all around the world, especially Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. They arrive back mid-to-late afternoon, feeding a growing bank of exits, including to South Asia.
Flights that leave the UK between 16:00-19:05 arrive in Istanbul within the late evening/very early morning to hook up with quite a few outbound flights, including across Asia. Notice that Heathrow now has departures in this era, such is the extent of onward connectivity.
What do you make of all of it? Tell us within the comments.