Turkish Airlines is here today! Taipei–Istanbul nonstop flights save 2 hours

▲ Turkish Airlines officially launched its first direct Taipei–Istanbul flight today (March 31). (Photo / Provided by Turkish Airlines, the same applies below)

Reporter Chen Ruizhong / Comprehensive report

There's a new direct international flight route for Taiwanese travelers! Turkish Airlines officially launched its first direct flight from Istanbul to Taipei today (March 31), arriving at Taoyuan Airport at 17:20. However, the traditional water salute ceremony was canceled due to water conservation concerns.

Turkish Airlines has been named "Europe’s Best Airline" by Skytrax for four consecutive years and has previously enlisted football star Messi and NBA Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant as advertising spokespeople. With today’s launch, Turkish Airlines becomes the only airline offering direct flights between Taipei and Istanbul, and Taiwan is now Turkish Airlines' 265th destination.

Turkish Airlines operates the Taipei–Istanbul route using the A340-300 aircraft, which is equipped with 34 business class seats and 236 economy class seats. It offers 7 weekly flights with a flight duration of approximately 13 hours and 25 minutes.

▲ Turkish Airlines held a celebration ceremony for the maiden flight.

Turkey is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. For Taiwanese travelers, the launch of Turkish Airlines’ new route......not only eliminates the need for at least 2 hours of transit time in Hong Kong, but also allows passengers to use Istanbul as a hub to connect to over 100 European destinations and more than 40 African destinations within its network, effectively saving travel time.Since the beginning of this year, Turkish Airlines has been selling discounted economy class tickets starting at NT$12,340 and business class tickets starting at NT$60,000 for 32 European destinations on its official website.

Turkish Airlines stated that international passengers transiting through Istanbul can join a free city tour if their layover exceeds 6 hours. The airline will take passengers to visit famous attractions such as the Blue Mosque, the Hippodrome of Istanbul, and the Basilica Cistern.