Turkish Airlines announced Monday the introduction of new service from Istanbul to Xiʹan, their fourth Chinese destination. The route will be operated on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and serviced with an Airbus A330-300.
On Monday, Turkish Airlines announced the start of new service from Istanbul to the ancient Chinese city of Xiʹan, the starting point of the historic ‘Silk Road.’ The inaugural flight, which took place on December 30, 2019, is Turkish Airlines’ fourth destination in mainland China and the airline’s 318th destination worldwide. The route will be operated three times weekly on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and serviced by an Airbus A330-300. In Monday’s announcement, Turkish Airlines’ General Manager, Bilal Ekşi said,
“We conclude the year by adding a very special city to our flight network after numerous innovations in various areas and the move to our new home that took place in 2019. We will carry our guests to 126 cities from Xiʹan, one of the most historical capitals while transferring the historical Silk Road to above clouds with our cargo operations. Our new flights will also contribute to the tourist numbers coming to our country with increasing attention from Chinese tourists to the tourism center of Turkey.”
Turkish Airlines has been serving the People’s Republic of China since 1999 when they launched their first route to Beijing. With the new service to Xiʹan, the airline now covers the entirety of the historical Silk Road from Xiʹan to Venice. The 3,000 year old city has served as the capital of 13 Chinese Dynasties and is home to the world-famous Terracotta Army, which draws over 2M tourists annually.
Source: Turkish Airlines