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Turkish Airlines to start flights from Tallinn, Vilnius next year

14.09.2012, 13:18

Turkey’s national airline Turkish Airlines has big plans for the Baltic region and the airline will commence flights from Vilnius and Tallinn already next year, confirmed Melih Yaman who is in charge of the Baltic countries for Turkish Airlines, writes the Baltic Course.

The airline will also increase the number of flights from Riga starting on the Riga-Istanbul route to 5 flights a week from September 13.

Continuing to increase its presence in the region, the airline will also launch flights to the Maldives from Riga on November 24.

Turkish Airlines carried total of 18 million passengers with an increase of 20% on the same period last year. The total number of international destinations went up to 157. The airline acquired 19 additional airplanes and its fleet is now 194 aircraft.

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I think, it's a mixture of short on equipment, (although now they have over 170 planes) and cautious approach. They went after Asian and African markets where the competition is much less than Tallinn. But the service should start by early next year and offer great time saving connections to Tallinn based travellers.

~Yoruk Isik [17.09.2012, 02:41]

I think it would be great when they actually start service, since they offer many connections via Istanbul, especially to Asia. However, we've heard talk of this route for years now and nothing has ever happened:

(April 2009) "Turkish Airlines planning a Tallinn-Istanbul line for the summer of 2010"
http://www.bbn.ee/Default.aspx?PublicationId=cb110ae3-541b-48e9-9808-22a9526f07c5

(December 2009) "Tallinn-Istanbul direct line to open in spring"
http://www.bbn.ee/Default.aspx?PublicationId=11d3692b-a5aa-4a71-9137-fc9ad01bc849

(May 2012) "Paet: Tallinn-Istanbul direct flight could come within a year"
http://www.bbn.ee/Default.aspx?PublicationId=498943f2-8526-4a06-a30d-47f7792328a8

Until we actually see the flights loaded into the airline scheduling system, I'm going to assume this isn't happening.

I also can't figure out why they are taking so long. Estonia seems eager for it, and I assume the airport landing fees aren't that high. Turkish Airlines has expanded rapidly in the past few years. Is Turkish either short on equipment or does not believe the Estonian market will generate enough profits?

~ameeriklane [14.09.2012, 17:51]

THY Turkish Airlines in Tallinn?

~Tarmo [14.09.2012, 17:14]