Turkish Airlines has pushed back its long-promised nonstop flights from Istanbul to Australia for at least the second time, with Sydney service now targeted for late 2027 and Melbourne slipping to sometime in 2028 — a full year later than previously announced.
The airline is waiting on a specially configured Airbus A350-1000 to make the roughly 17-hour flights viable. Turkish has ordered 15 A350-1000s, with eight reportedly earmarked for the Australia routes, and the first aircraft isn’t expected until mid-2027. The configuration is premium-heavy by design — 66 business class suites using Turkish’s new Crystal Suite product, up from the standard 48 — with fewer total passengers to reduce weight and extend range without requiring the additional fuel tank that Qantas needs for its longer Project Sunrise missions.
Turkish chairman Murat Şeker has confirmed the airline is still finalizing the business case and aircraft economics with Airbus, though the premium cabin-skewed layout is the key to making ultra-long-haul economics work at all.
The payoff for passengers when it eventually launches: roughly five hours saved compared to current one-stop routing through Kuala Lumpur or Singapore — and one less airport to navigate each way. Premium economy is also expected on the A350 fleet, potentially arriving around the same time as the Sydney launch.
Why It Matters: Turkish, Qantas, and a handful of others are racing to own the ultra-long-haul market to Australia. More competition on these routes — even if delayed — ultimately means more options and more pricing pressure for business travelers making that brutal run.**
Source: Turkish Airlines Non-Stop Australia Flights Delayed Until 2027
