Melo Villareal
Manila-Istanbul Direct Flights Established
Airbus A340’s have started to roll in Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 (NAIA 1) as Turkish Airlines take the first lead in the new direct flights between the Philippines and Turkey. These flights were established following the signing of an extended air services by both countries in November 2014. Turkish Airlines, currently operating in 108 countries with 260 destinations, are the world’s 4th largest flight network and have served 54 million passengers worldwide in 2014. The 12 hour flights between two countries are scheduled in Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays to serve the growing two-way tourist arrivals between the two recipient countries.
Istanbul Manila Flights
“We are very excited to bring our renowned in-flight services to Filipinos, and we hope that our new flights to Manila will boost trade between our two countries,” Turkish Airlines Executive Officer Temel Kotil stated. He further added the fact that the Philippines has posted one of the most impressive economic growth rate in the world as a sign for airlines to see opportunities in expanding air travel services.
Turkish Airlines is aiming for transit passengers, tourists and businessmen who prefer Turkey as a site for jump-off point in traveling to Europe. Turkish Airlines General Manager for the Philippines Erhan Balaban actively expressed his enthusiasm on the tourism prospects in the Philippines and Turkey.
In the next few months, Turkish Airlines is also considering transferring to the NAIA Terminal 3 since it is bigger that the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1.
“Many are eager to discover Philippines’ world famous beaches, while there are historic sites in Turkey and Europe that Filipinos would love to see,” he added. Data gathered by the Department of Tourism and the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism revealed that a total of 3,731 tourists from Turkey had visited the Philippines in 2013 while 3,581 tourists from the Philippines toured Turkey in 2014.
