Airfare 'price war' hopes with Turkish Airlines set to ramp up flights to Australia

Turkish Airlines' Australian expansion is likely to be good news for travellers, industry figures and academics say, with the ramping-up of flights expected to result in lower airfares for consumers. Transport Minister Catherine King last week signed off on a new agreement to increase the carrier's weekly allocation from seven to 35 by 2025. Under the terms of the deal, Turkish Airlines can immediately fly 21 services per week to Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth, before further increases take effect in 2024 and 2025. The new agreement eclipses Qatar Airways' allowance of 28 flights to major airports and provides a significant alternative to the Gulf states and Singapore for air travel between Australia and Europe. Flight Centre managing director Graham Turner said the move would drive down airfares to Europe and the United Kingdom as the industry was "desperate for more capacity through the Middle East and Asia". "We worked out that when Qatar wanted another 28 flights, that it would probably have about a 15% decrease in airfares, so we're hoping for a similar impact now that there will be more competition," he said.<br/>