New Route of the Day (11 March 2026): Turkish Airlines between Istanbul IST and Yerevan

Turkish Airlines commenced operations between Istanbul IST and the Armenian capital of Yerevan on Wednesday 11 March. The 1,330-kilometre route will initially be maintained daily with the carrier’s 737 fleet. It will increase to 10-weekly from 14 May and 2-daily from 15 June.

The Star Alliance member faces no direct competition between the two cities, although Pegasus Airlines operates a daily service from Istanbul SAW.

Flight TK358 departs Istanbul IST at 21:10 local time, arriving in Yerevan at 00:25 the following day. The return service, operating as flight TK359, takes off at 02:20 local time, touching back down in Türkiye at 03:55.

Turkish Airlines makes Armenia debut

Nonstop commercial flights between Türkiye and Armenia resumed in 2022 after a two-year suspension. Although several carriers have operated between the two states, Turkish Airlines has never done so.

Over the past two decades, carriers including Tus Airways, FlyOne and Pegasus Airlines have operated between the two countries. Pegasus Airlines became the first Turkish carrier to do so in February 2022.

Türkiye and Armenia reset relations with new flights

Türkiye and Armenia have a difficult relationship dating back to World War One. The new service marks a slow rapprochement between the two states, which have never established formal diplomatic relations.

The land border between the two countries has remained closed since 1993. In 2021 the two countries appointed special envoys to explore a path toward reconciliation. Since then, Ankara and Yerevan have taken several limited steps aimed at improving ties.

They agreed to allow cargo flights and to open the land border to third-country nationals, though the frontier has yet to reopen in effect.

In another modest confidence-building move, the two governments announced in December simplified visa procedures for holders of diplomatic, special and service passports.