New Route of the Day – Americas (24 September 2021): Turkish Airlines between Istanbul IST and Dallas/Fort Worth
On 24 September, Turkish Airlines commenced service between its Istanbul IST hub and Dallas/Fort Worth in Texas, the airline’s 11th non-stop route to the US. The inaugural service (flight number TK 191 operated by a Boeing 787-9, registration TC-LLA) departed Istanbul at 14:59 and touched down at DFW 12 hours and 37 minutes later at 19:36 local time. The return flight (TK 192) departed the Texas hub at 22:02 and landed back in Turkey 11 hours and four minutes later at 17:06 local time, on 25 September, according to flightradar24.com. The 10,100-kilometre route will operate on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Celebrations at DFW included a water arch salute for the arriving aircraft, a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a cake.
Turkish Airlines has been serving Chicago ORD and New York JFK since before 2000. Since then, it has added non-stop service to Washington IAD (November 2010), Los Angeles (March 2011), Houston IAH (April 2013), Boston (May 2014), San Francisco (April 2015), Miami (October 2015), Atlanta (May 2016) and New York EWR (May 2021). US carriers seem to have abandoned the Turkish market. Delta last served Istanbul from New York JFK in August 2015, while United connected Newark with Istanbul between July 2012 and October 2013.
What they said
Sean Donohue, CEO of Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, said: “As the most connected airport in the United States, DFW is pleased to introduce non-stop travel from Istanbul to North Texas for the first time. This new partnership with Turkish Airlines reflects DFW Airport’s commitment to continued growth and providing customers with more travel options.”
M.İlker Aycı, Chairman of the Board and Executive Committee of Turkish Airlines, said: “With the opening of our 11th US gateway, we look forward to welcoming travellers aboard this new route to experience our world-class service, award-winning cuisine and world-famous Turkish hospitality. We continue to make health and safety a top priority for our passengers and employees and maintain a strong commitment to keeping the world connected through our expanded North American presence.”