Turkish Airlines will start its new longest route next week

Despite only being announced in September, Turkish Airlines' first flight from Istanbul to Sydney—which will operate via Kuala Lumpur—will take off towards the end of November. It will begin a few days after Delta Air Lines starts its new longest domestic route. Sydney flights will commence a few days earlier than previously expected. It will capture the peak summer demand Down Under ahead of the all-important Christmastime period. The New South Wales Aviation Attraction Fund is supporting it financially. Not only will Turkish Airlines now serve two Australian cities, but Sydney will also become the carrier's longest route by distance and maximum block time. Of course, it'll be even more noteworthy when Istanbul-Sydney is eventually served non-stop.On November 28, a week after this article is researched and written, the Star Alliance member will launch its inaugural Sydney service. Of course, it will be covered in my jam-packed weekly routes article. Generally, Turkish begins significant new long-haul routes using the Boeing 777-300ER (shown below), its highest-capacity equipment. This is mainly to accommodate dignitaries, the press, etc. Indeed, its first two services (November 28 and 30) will be on the 349-seater before the 329-seat Airbus A350-900 takes over on December 2. The one-stop service will then remain in the A350's hands.<br/>