Turkish Airlines to Add New Flight to Toronto, Canada

TORONTO- On May 3rd, 2024, Turkish Airlines (TK) submitted a request to augment its services on the Istanbul (IST) to Toronto (YYZ) route following its recent approval from the Canadian Transportation Agency to add a seventh weekly flight.

The additional flight, scheduled for Saturdays, will commence on June 8th, 2024, and continue until October 25th, 2024, utilizing a 777-300ER aircraft.

Photo: Phil | Flickr

Turkish Airlines Toronto Flight

On April 8, 2024, Turkish Airlines submitted an application to the Canadian Transportation Agency (Agency) seeking extra-bilateral authority to allow an additional weekly flight between Istanbul, Turkey, and Toronto, Canada, from May 1, 2024, to September 30, 2024.

Operating under the Agreement between the Government of Canada and the Government of the Republic of Turkey on Air Transport, Turkish Airlines is licensed for scheduled international air service.

The Agreement stipulates that each country can assign twelve weekly flights to their designated air carriers using their own aircraft in each direction. Specifically, Turkish designated airlines can operate nine weekly flights east of the Ontario-Manitoba border (such as Toronto and Montréal) and three west of the same border (such as Vancouver).

Currently, Turkish Airlines operates the maximum twelve weekly passenger flights to Canada as permitted under the Agreement: six to Toronto, three to Montréal, and three to Vancouver, all originating from Istanbul.

The airline seeks permission for one additional seasonal flight between Toronto and Istanbul from May 1, 2024, to September 30, 2024. This request is grounded in the airline’s analysis of high load factors and forward bookings for the upcoming peak summer travel season, indicating a need for additional capacity to address congestion and meet market demand.

The updated flight schedule is as follows:

• TK017 departs from Istanbul at 15:10, arriving in Toronto at 18:45 (local time) using a 777-300ER.
• TK018 departs from Toronto at 21:30, arriving in Istanbul at 14:40 the following day (local time), also utilizing a 777-300ER.

Photo: By Anna Zvereva from Tallinn, Estonia – Turkish Airlines, TC-LKA, Boeing 777-36N ER, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=87337852

Rising Demand

Turkish Airlines emphasizes the growing demand for air travel between Turkey and Canada, asserting that approval of the extra flight would have positive economic implications, particularly for tourism revenue.

Additionally, it suggests that the additional flight would expand flight options and significantly enhance connectivity between the two countries, benefiting consumers with increased travel choices.

The airline underscores that this request is seasonal and intended to address immediate capacity needs during the peak summer travel season.

Consequently, Turkish Airlines seeks extra-bilateral authority to operate a total of thirteen flights per week to Canada, including ten flights east of the Ontario-Manitoba border.

Photo: By Milan Suvajac – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=44496232

Support from GTAA

Because Turkish Airlines’ requested authority falls outside the bilateral agreement, the Agency notified relevant parties, including Air Canada (operating as Air Canada Rouge and Air Canada Cargo), Air Transat A.T. Inc. (operating as Air Transat), and the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA), all designated by Canada for operations to Turkey.

The GTAA submitted the sole intervention regarding the application.

The GTAA highlighted that while the current Agreement permits daily service (seven weekly flights) by Turkish Airlines at Toronto Pearson International Airport, adhering to this would compel Turkish Airlines to disrupt their Montreal operations and reduce service to two weekly frequencies, potentially rendering it commercially unviable.

Therefore, the GTAA supports Turkish Airlines’ request for extra bilateral authority, enabling them to maintain daily service to Toronto while sustaining their existing service to Montreal.

Additionally, the GTAA supports Turkish Airlines’ application by emphasizing the significant growth in annual service demand between Canada and Turkey since 2019.

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