Turkish Airlines increases Dubai-Istanbul route capacity through additional weekly flights to Sabiha Gokcen International Airport

Airline to add seven weekly flights to Istanbul’s second international airport

Turkish Airlines, the national flag carrier of Turkey, and Europe’s best airline for the fifth year in a row*, has announced the launch of daily flights to Dubai from Sabiha Gokcen International Airport in Istanbul. On December 25, the airline will start flying from Istanbul’s second international airport to Dubai, one of the world’s most exciting shopping, leisure and business destinations.

Turkish Airlines currently flies 14 weekly flights to Dubai from its hub at Istanbul Ataturk Airport. The inclusion of seven additional flights per week from and to Sabiha Gokcen which is the Asian side of Istanbul, will increase its capacity on routes to Dubai by nearly 50%.

From March 2016, the airline will increase its weekly flights to 10 per week between Dubai and Sabiha Gokcen, further increasing frequencies and capacity on this route.

Emre Ismailoglu, General Manager, Dubai and Northern Emirates, Turkish Airlines, said: “Our continued growth from Dubai is a success story for Turkish Airlines and demonstrates our commitment and faith in the potential of this region for even further growth. The local market in Dubai, and the UAE in general, continues to generate strong sales, and I am very optimistic of the carrier's increased frequencies on this route.”

Until the third quarter of 2015, passengers carried from the UAE increased by 2.2%, to approximately 320,000. Business/Comfort Class passengers increased by 6.3% for the same period whilst Available Seat Kilometres (ASK) increased by 3.2% as compared to the same period in 2014.

The additional flights will enable even greater opportunities for travellers for onward connections to Europe, the Middle East, and other parts of Asia. Travelling to Sabiha Gokcen will also enable passengers to access popular Turkish destinations like Bursa, Bodrum, Ankara, Samsun, Antalya, amongst others.

Turkish Airlines now flies to 280 destinations worldwide with 238 international and 42 domestic. The airline's network growth will receive a further boost with the introduction of new USA destinations like Atlanta, new African destinations, and also further afield across Europe.