Taxpayers often wonder about the value (and cost) of sending official dignitaries overseas, particularly when it comes to commercial matters. While securing airline routes is often done at a conference by specialist teams from the airline and airport, it seems a bit of pomp and ceremony may work just as well.

Some vice-regal help might get Turkish Airlines to Australia

A delegation from Australia has been in Turkey for the April 25th Anzac Day commemorations, with the Governor of Victoria, Linda Dessau, among them. On Wednesday the Governor had a round of meetings, and one was with the Turkish Airlines Chairman, Ahmet Bolat, to discuss the opportunities for flights to Australia. The Governor, or more likely her staff, let we loyal citizens know about it via this post:

Ahmet Bolat was much more forthcoming by posting a lengthy account of the discussion on his LinkedIn page, which we can share with you through the magic of translation.

Sydney or Melbourne or both?

He said that among the topics discussed was the inclusion of Australian cities in Turkish Airlines' expanding network, with a particular emphasis on Melbourne. He added that Australia "has been on our radar for quite some time" due to the rapid development in areas such as tourism, trade and education.

Bolat also threw a bone the way of Melbourne and Sydney airports and state governments by asking:

"In the case of Australia, the question before us is: should we start our flights to Sydney or Melbourne first?"

"We carried 120,837 passengers in 2019 and 118,847 in 2022 with airlines with which we have codeshare agreements from Australia, where we do not yet have direct flights. But we think it's time to show the Turkish Airlines logo in Australia as well.

"If the delivery of our new generation widebody aircraft is done as promised by the manufacturers we aim to start with three flights per week from Istanbul to Sydney or Melbourne before the end of 2023."

According to ch-aviation.com, Turkish Airlines has widebody orders for fourteen Airbus A350-900s and nine Boeing 787-9s to go with the twelve A350s and sixteen 787-9 Dreamliners it already operates. My reading of that is that Turkish Airlines needs the extra widebodies to have the capacity to launch the service to Australia, rather than waiting for new technology as Qantas is doing with its Project Sunrise.

The goal is for direct, daily flights

However, new technology aircraft are certainly on Bolat's radar as he is not a fan of a stopover on the route.

"Flying here, even with a stopover, will increase the quality of the service we offer and reduce it slightly from our 'profit.' Despite this, in December of this year, there was a certain will in the senior management to increase the number of continents under our wing to six.

"Our main goal is to fly directly and every day to both Sydney and Melbourne, with the production of a new-generation of ultra-long-range aircraft. If the aircraft manufacturers do not incraese their productivity, we still have another five years for this. Until then, where do you think we should pay more attention to? Sydney or Melbourne?"

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The prospect of Turkish Airlines flying to Australia has been mooted many times before, but when it comes from the Chairman and is this clear and direct, it looks like it will happen and soon. With an outcome like that, I guess the Governor deserves a pat on the shoulder, although protocol probably doesn't allow that.