Turkish Airlines Launches New 22-Hour Ultra-Long Route: See Map Now

Published Oct 28, 2026, 11:19 AM EDT Paul has had a career of 25+ years focused on the international technology sector, which has taken him to over 100 countries. Along the way, he developed a deep love for aviation, with a travel bucket list measured by aircraft types flown rather than destinations reached. Now he brings that avgeek passion, along with the journalism experience he accumulated early in his career, to write insightful pieces for Simple Flying. Turkish Airlines launched its new Istanbul–Singapore–Sydney service on October 26, replacing the previous stopover in Kuala Lumpur (KUL). The five-weekly Airbus A350-900 operation has a maximum scheduled journey time of 21 hours and 40 minutes, including its Singapore stop, making it one of the airline's longest services. The change means that Turkish Airlines now serves both of its Australian destinations via Singapore, with eight weekly flights to Sydney and Melbourne combined. The airline has ambitious plans for its Australian network, with traffic rights for up to 35 weekly flights, and eventual nonstop services using the Airbus A350-1000. Inside Turkish Airlines' New Sydney Route Credit: Johann Kirby Datoy | Shutterstock Turkish Airlines first started flying to Sydney in November 2024, operating from its hub at Istanbul Airport (IST) with a stop at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL). The route to Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD) was actually the airline's second Australian route, with it having already launched a three-times-weekly service to Melbourne Airport (MEL) via Singapore in March of that year. At the time, the choice of different stopover airports was explained as a case of existing flights to each airport being extended on to Australia. But now that has changed, and the Sydney route will also be operating via Singapore Changi Airport (SIN). The new TK22 departs Istanbul at 3:20 PM, reaching Sydney at 7:25 PM the following day. Returning as TK23, it departs Sydney at 9:35 PM, reaching Istanbul at 11:10 AM. The northbound journey takes 21 hours and 35 minutes, including the stopover. Loading map… Drag to explore Singapore offers more than a convenient refueling stop. Turkish Airlines has fifth-freedom rights to sell tickets between Singapore and Sydney, competing with Singapore Airlines, Qantas, Scoot and British Airways. Changi is also a major Star Alliance hub, giving Turkish Airlines opportunities through its existing codeshare partnership with Singapore Airlines and frequent-flyer connections. Turkish Airlines' Ambitious Australian Expansion Plans Credit: Kevin Hackert | Shutterstock Turkish Airlines entered Australia with Melbourne in March 2024 after two years of negotiations. This resulted in the airline being granted 35 weekly flights as well as fifth-freedom rights for any Asian stopover. Sydney initially received four weekly flights, rising to five in June 2025. The airline had planned daily Sydney services by January 2026, but that target has not yet materialized. As a result, its current eight weekly Australian departures remain well below the 35 permitted under bilateral traffic rights, giving it plenty of headroom for expansion. The next milestone is nonstop service to both current destinations using specially configured A350-1000s. Istanbul–Sydney spans approximately 9,270 miles (14,920 km), requiring aircraft capable of exceptionally long missions. However, nonstop Australian flights have been delayed, with recent expectations pointing towards a late 2027 start for Sydney and potentially 2028 for Melbourne. Date Australian Network Milestone March 2024 Melbourne launches via Singapore November 2024 Sydney launches via Kuala Lumpur June 2025 Sydney increases to five weekly October 2026 Sydney switches to Singapore 2027–2028 Target period for nonstop flights Further expansion is definitely on the cards, given that Turkish Airlines still has rights to a further 27 weekly flights. The Australian reported last month that the current routes are reporting average load factors of 85%, and Turkish Airlines has identified Brisbane and Perth as potential future destinations. However, additional routes will depend on aircraft availability, market conditions and demand. For now, the airline's priority appears to be strengthening Sydney and Melbourne before committing to further Australian gateways. Where Sydney Passengers Travel Beyond Istanbul Credit: Robin Guess | Shutterstock Turkish Airlines' Australian ambitions extend well beyond Türkiye. During the 12 months ending August 2026, nearly 100,000 Sydney passengers connected onward through Istanbul. The airline's extensive network across Europe provides convenient access to destinations that may otherwise require additional or less convenient connections from Australia. London is the leading market, fueled by the strong connections between Australia and the UK, and the fact that the airline operates up to 11 daily flights across London Heathrow Airport (LHR), London Gatwick Airport (LGW), and London Stansted Airport (STN). But the strong VFR flows are also evident with the likes of Athens, Rome, Skopje, and Belgrade being so high on the list. Market Airports Peak Daily Flights Distance London LHR, LGW, STN 11 1,540 mi (2,480 km) Athens ATH 5 345 mi (555 km) Rome FCO 4 865 mi (1,390 km) Skopje SKP 2 380 mi (610 km) Belgrade BEG 3 490 mi (790 km) Dublin DUB 3 1,850 mi (2,980 km) Paris CDG 7 1,375 mi (2,215 km) Berlin BER 5 1,050 mi (1,690 km) Milan MXP 4 1,030 mi (1,660 km) Warsaw WAW 3 860 mi (1,385 km) Istanbul's geographical position will also offer a distinct advantage in the future. A nonstop Sydney–Istanbul–London journey would cover approximately 10,675 miles (17,180 km), compared with roughly 11,370 miles (18,300 km) via Dubai International Airport (DXB). Although today's Singapore stop negates that advantage, nonstop A350-1000 operations will make Turkish Airlines a stronger competitor versus the Gulf carriers for Australia–Europe passengers.