Strap in. Turkish Airlines has just taken off with a flurry of announcements, giving passengers a collection of new and shiny things to expect on their next journey.
From new routes to designer amenity kits and biometric technology, the airline was travelling at full speed this week, as it accelerates its guest services and offerings.
Read on for their latest roll-outs and let us know if get the chance to test any of them on your next TK flight free stopover in Istanbul.
New super long routes
Turkish Airlines is skipping the middleman (mostly the UAE and Qatar) with new flights from Istanbul to Sydney, Australia via Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Taking off within the next week, the new service will be the carrier’s longest route by distance and maximum block time. The four-times weekly flights between Turkey and Australia aboard an Airbus A350-900 aim to meet the ever-growing demand for travel from the Oceania region to Europe and the Middle East.
Meanwhile, the airline is also appealing to the American market, with the announcement of three new weekly flights between Istanbul and Chicago AND additional non-stop flights to Denver.
During the Northern Summer 2025 season (7 July-25 October), Turkish Airlines will increase its Chicago services from 14 to 17 times weekly, and its Denver services from four to seven days weekly.
New flights to Chicago will be operated on the carrier’s Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, while Denver flights will take off on the Airbus A350.
And if that wasn’t enough, Turkish Airlines is also tapping into the growing Central African market with plans to establish a non-stop route between Istanbul and The Republic of Congo’s Brazzaville.
Although details are limited at the moment, Turkish Airlines is aiming for a 2026 launch and expects the new service will complement existing flights between Pointe-Noire and Istanbul.
Also read: Middle East stopover programs: turn your next layover into a mini holiday
New, sustainable designer amenity kits
Turkish Airlines has teamed up with French fashion brand, Lanvin, to release a new sustainable Business Class amenity kit collection. And they’re packed with Lanvin freebies!
Described as a blend of modern, luxury and elegance, the bags are designed to be reusable, so guests can find use for them for various purposes in and outside the aircraft.
Each bag features limited-edition Lanvin cosmetic products including hand and body lotion, a lip balm, shea oil, olive shell oil and coconut. No excuse to let your skin get dehydrated during the flight.
Inside, travellers will also find an eye mask and socks made from recycled materials, as well as earplugs packaged in paper to minimise single-use plastics and a toothbrush made from bamboo.
Guests will be able to choose from brown, black, tan or a cream bag, and if they’re on an international Business Class flight lasting between five and eight hours, they’ll also receive either a black or brown wallet-style bag.
New speedy, airport technology
Getting through Istanbul and Izmir airports should be around 50% faster in the near-future, as Turkish Airlines rolls out biometric facial recognition technology.
As part of this week’s announcements, the airline confirmed that it had successfully trialled the system at Boston and Miami airports and was ready to extend the new technology to Turkey.
Facial recognition will be used at the boarding gates to speed up the boarding process and implement a contactless system.
Kerem Kiziltunc, Turkish Airlines’ Deputy General Manager, said the facial recognition system can reduce boarding times by 50% and is in line with the carrier’s plans to modernise its operations and improve the overall travel experience for guests, ID Tech Wire reported.
Also read: Travelling with pets: Your guide to pet friendly airlines in the Middle East
