Turkish Airlines starts direct Manila-Istanbul flights 3 times a week

Turkish Airlines, Turkey’s flag carrier, launched on March 30 its thrice weekly direct, non-stop flights between Istanbul and Manila at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 and plans to operate a daily service between the two cities, eventually, announced Chief Marketing Officer Ahmet Olmustur.

Last November 2014, the Philippines and Turkey signed an expanded air services agreement granting Turkish carriers three frequencies per week to Manila and Clark.

In accordance with the pact, Turkish Airlines is flying between Manila in Istanbul every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday using its Airbus A340s to serve the growing two-way tourist arrivals between the two countries.

A total of 3,731 tourists from Turkey visited the Philippines in 2013, a 19percent increase from 2012, according to Department of Tourism, while the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism recorded 3,581 tourists from the Philippines in 2014.

The direct flights between Manila and Istanbul shortens travel time between the two cities to twelve hours, each way and is expected to boost both tourism and trade.

“We are targeting businessmen, tourists, and transit passengers seek- ing a gateway to Europe,” confirmed Turkish Airlines Chief Executive Officer Temel Kotil.

Transit passengers prefer to use Turkey as a jump- off point to Europe for its seamless transfer procedures. Strategically located in the crossroads of Asia, Europe, and Africa, Turkey is only three hours away by plane from over 60 different countries, he pointed out.

Furthermore, enhanced connectivity will promote both the Philippines and Turkey as premium leisure destinations, according to Turkish Airlines General Manager for the Philippines Erhan Balaban.

“Many are eager to discover the Philippines’ world- famous beaches, while there are historic sites in Turkey and Europe that Filipinos would love to see,” he noted.

With over 260 destinations in 108 countries, Turkish Airlines operates the world’s fourth largest flight network. It flew more than 54 million passengers in 2014.

Turkish Airlines has consistently been named Europe’s best airline by Skytrax, a leading consultancy based in the United Kingdom that conducts research and surveys on commercial airlines.

The carrier is also a member of Star Alliance, a global airline alliance that gives shared frequent flier rewards to travelers flying any of its 27 member airlines.