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News / Top 5: Turkish Airlines' longest US-bound routes
Turkish Airlines operates up to 23 daily US flights
It was reported around the end of last year that Turkish Airlines would be operating up to 23 daily US flights in 2024. After the pandemic, the carrier doubled its operations in the US. Some of the top destinations of the carrier include JFK, IAD, ORD, among others. But which are the airlines’ longest US-bound routes? Let’s find out.
5. Istanbul International Airport (IST) - Denver International Airport (DEN)
The IST-DEN route offers around 10,000 seats for passengers in the month of July - the least number of seats for the month for Turkish’s five longest US-bound routes
| Route | Distance (in miles) | Operations |
|---|---|---|
| IST to DEN | 6,130 | 16 |
| DEN to IST | 6,130 | 16 |
It was only in April this year that Turkish Airlines announced that it would be conducting flights to Denver. It was reported that the addition of this route would create 350 jobs whilst adding $54 million annually to the economy of Colorado. The launch of this route fell perfectly in line with the aim of DEN, which aims to reach 100 million annual passengers by 2027.
Turkish Airlines operates the Airbus A350-900 along this route. The carrier takes 12 hours and 45 minutes to cover this 6,130-mile journey. Some other carriers offering flights from Istanbul to Denver include:
- British Airways via a stop in London: The Airbus A320 (sharklets) and the A350-1000 that the British flag carrier uses on this route have a flight time of approximately 17 hours.
- Air France’s flights from IST to DEN have a stopover in Paris.
4. Istanbul International Airport (IST) - Dallas Fort Worth (DFW)
The IST-DFW route has the lowest seats (per departure) among its five longest US bound routes
| Route | Distance (in miles) | Operations |
|---|---|---|
| IST to DFW | 6,275 | 31 |
| DFW to IST | 6,275 | 31 |
According to data from Cirium, an aviation analytics company, Turkish Airlines’ flights on its fourth-longest route have a total of 18,600 seats on the 62 operations in the month of July. Turkish Airlines launched this route in 2021.
Turkish Airlines is the sole carrier offering direct flights and operates its Boeing 787-9 on this route. The airline takes around 12 hours and 45 minutes for the IST-DFW flights.
3. Istanbul International Airport (IST) - George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)
In addition to a non-stop flight, Turkish also has a one-stop flight on this route
| Route | Distance (in miles) | Operations |
|---|---|---|
| IST to IAH | 6,371 | 45 |
| IAH to IST | 6,371 | 45 |
Much like the routes we discussed above, Turkish Airlines is the only carrier offering non-stop IST-IAH flights. Turkish Airlines offers at least one flight per day on this route for July. The Boeing 787-9 and the Boeing 777-300ER that Turkish Airlines operates on this route have a flight time of 13 hours and 35 minutes.
Some other carriers operating on this route include:
- Lufthansa Airlines offers a 15-hour, 25-minute flight with a stopover at Frankfurt. Some of the aircraft that Lufthansa operates on the IST-IAH route include the Boeing 747-8, Airbus A320 (sharklets), and Airbus A321.
- British Airways offers a near 19-hour flight with a stopover at Heathrow, London. British Airways uses its Airbus A320neo, Airbus A320 (sharklets), and Boeing 747-8.
Turkish Airlines also offers a one-stop flight along IST-IAH, with the stopover taking place in Mexico City.
2. Istanbul International Airport (IST) - San Francisco Airport (SFO)
The second-longest route of Turkish Airlines has the second-highest seats (per departure) and ASMs on this list
| Route | Distance (in miles) | Operations |
|---|---|---|
| IST to SFO | 6,705 | 50 |
| SFO to IST | 6,705 | 50 |
The only airline offering a non-stop flight between IST-SFO, the Turkish Airlines offers a near fourteen-hour flight on the Boeing 787-9 and the Airbus A350-900, it operates on this route. The IST-SFO route is only 50 miles shy of the longest US-bound route of the carrier. Departure times of the carrier vary, as the earliest flight departs at 07:50 while the last flight departs at 13:50. Turkish gives you an option to fly in Economy and Business class for IST-SFO flights, with First Class and Premium Economy flights not available on the non-stop flight on this route.
Carriers with one-stop flight on the IST-SFO route:
| Carrier | Stopover at | Operating aircraft | Duration of the flight |
|---|---|---|---|
| British Airways | Frankfurt | Airbus A320neo, Airbus A320 (sharklets), Boeing 777-300ER | 16 hours |
| Lufthansa | London | Airbus A320neo, Airbus A320 (sharklets), Boeing 777-300ER | 19 hours |
1. Istanbul International Airport (IST) - Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
This route has the highest number of seats and seats per departure among Turkish’s five-longest routes
| Route | Distance (in miles) | Operations |
|---|---|---|
| IST to LAX | 6,852 | 62 |
| LAX to IST | 6,852 | 62 |
Turkish Airlines operates two flights a day from IST-LAX and back. The flight is almost 14 hours long. The aircraft that the carrier uses along this route include:
- Airbus A350-900
- Boeing 777-300ER
- Boeing 787-9
In the month of June, Turkish Airlines had 60 operations on this route, making the IST-LAX route the third-most popular US-bound route of the carrier. The airline is the only one to offer a non-stop flight on this route. Some carriers that offer a one-stop flight on this route include:
- Polish Airlines with a stopover at Warsaw: According to flightroutes.com, the aircraft that the carrier operates on this route are Boeing 787-9, Embraer 195, and Legacy 1000.
- Lufthansa with a stopover at Frankfurt: The aircraft that the carrier operates on this route are the Airbus A321, Airbus A320 (sharklets), and Boeing 747-8.
