Terpe
11th February 2015, 14:49
Turkish Airlines, the national flag carrier of Turkey, has revealed ambitious expansion plans for the Philippines, when it begins service with three weekly flights between Manila and Istanbul on March 30. The Turkish carrier, which is often ranked one of the world's premier airlines, has unveiled a long-term plan to fly to Manila on a daily basis.
According to Erhan Balaban, Turkish Airlines' General Manager for Philippine operations, the carrier sees a lot of opportunity in the Philippines. "At first, we will have three direct flights weekly, then we'll see if we can have daily flights," said Balaban. "We are very much excited about this collaboration with the Philippine airline industry. We see the Philippines as an important market for us."
When flights launch on March 30, the carrier expects demand to slowly increase as tourists learn of the direct flight, which will be popular for those on packaged vacations and pilgrimages. As a member of Star Alliance, Turkish Airlines also has its eyes set on frequent travellers and corporate passengers that are looking for the convenience of a direct flight to Europe, coupled with a superior product.
Balaban noted that the maiden flight, which is set to take off on March 30, is nearly fully booked as "the direct flight sparked renewed interest from Filipinos to travel to Turkey." The maiden journey is expected to include diplomatic officials and businessmen from both nations.
Following the maiden flight, Turkish Airlines expects to offer special launch fares to Turkey and special seasonal fares to Manila. The direct flight between Manila and Istanbul will shorten the journey by approximately three hours, with travel aboard the non-stop flight expected to take 12 hours. The carrier will launch its Philippine service with Airbus A340 aircraft. However, it is believed that Turkish Airlines plans to eventually upgrade the service to Boeing 777 aircraft.
Balaban believes that Turkish tourists will be interested in the opportunity to enjoy the Philippine beach destinations of Palawan, Boracay, and Bohol. However, corporate travel is expected to flourish as well as business ties between the two nations grow. Passengers bound for Europe will also be able to enjoy Turkish Airlines' seamless connections at Istanbul Airport, which serves as a transfer point for a number of European and Scandinavian destinations.
Flights between Manila and Istanbul will be operated every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. Flights depart Istanbul at 1:00am, arriving in the Philippines at 6:00pm. The return flight will depart Manila at 8:50pm, and arrive in Istanbul the following morning at 5:05am.
Manila won't be the only addition to the Turkish Airlines network in March. The carrier plans to also add non-stop service to Abuja in Nigeria and Taipei, Taiwan. Turkish Airlines currently boasts the world's fourth largest flight network serving 261 destination in 108 countries.
Source (http://www.philippineflightnetwork.com/2015/02/turkish-airlines-flights-to-manila.html)
According to Erhan Balaban, Turkish Airlines' General Manager for Philippine operations, the carrier sees a lot of opportunity in the Philippines. "At first, we will have three direct flights weekly, then we'll see if we can have daily flights," said Balaban. "We are very much excited about this collaboration with the Philippine airline industry. We see the Philippines as an important market for us."
When flights launch on March 30, the carrier expects demand to slowly increase as tourists learn of the direct flight, which will be popular for those on packaged vacations and pilgrimages. As a member of Star Alliance, Turkish Airlines also has its eyes set on frequent travellers and corporate passengers that are looking for the convenience of a direct flight to Europe, coupled with a superior product.
Balaban noted that the maiden flight, which is set to take off on March 30, is nearly fully booked as "the direct flight sparked renewed interest from Filipinos to travel to Turkey." The maiden journey is expected to include diplomatic officials and businessmen from both nations.
Following the maiden flight, Turkish Airlines expects to offer special launch fares to Turkey and special seasonal fares to Manila. The direct flight between Manila and Istanbul will shorten the journey by approximately three hours, with travel aboard the non-stop flight expected to take 12 hours. The carrier will launch its Philippine service with Airbus A340 aircraft. However, it is believed that Turkish Airlines plans to eventually upgrade the service to Boeing 777 aircraft.
Balaban believes that Turkish tourists will be interested in the opportunity to enjoy the Philippine beach destinations of Palawan, Boracay, and Bohol. However, corporate travel is expected to flourish as well as business ties between the two nations grow. Passengers bound for Europe will also be able to enjoy Turkish Airlines' seamless connections at Istanbul Airport, which serves as a transfer point for a number of European and Scandinavian destinations.
Flights between Manila and Istanbul will be operated every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. Flights depart Istanbul at 1:00am, arriving in the Philippines at 6:00pm. The return flight will depart Manila at 8:50pm, and arrive in Istanbul the following morning at 5:05am.
Manila won't be the only addition to the Turkish Airlines network in March. The carrier plans to also add non-stop service to Abuja in Nigeria and Taipei, Taiwan. Turkish Airlines currently boasts the world's fourth largest flight network serving 261 destination in 108 countries.
Source (http://www.philippineflightnetwork.com/2015/02/turkish-airlines-flights-to-manila.html)