Saturday 16 August 2008

Connecting the Heart of the Midlands with the Gateway to Asia


If you are a big fan of Turkey, and you live in the Midlands, (and by that I mean the Midlands of England), then here is a bit of good news: this year Turkish Airlines are launching the first direct scheduled service from Birmingham to Istanbul.

The flight will be operating from Birmingham Airport from December 15th, initially on a basis of five flights per week, and this will hopefully grow to daily services by the summer of 2009, carrying some 30,000 passengers a year.

Passengers will be able to travel onwards with Turkish Airlines from Istanbul to a choice of 33 domestic Turkish destinations, such as Dalaman or Izmir, and 108 international destinations, such as Hong Kong or Johannesburg.

Turkish Airlines is one of Europe’s major flag carriers, and is also a member of the Star Alliance, along with airlines such as Lufthansa, bmi and Singapore Airlines.

Istanbul has some fabulous attractions, such as the Hagia Sophia Cathedral, Topkapi Palace, and a number of very old and artistically styled Turkish baths. Turkish Airlines even offer a free Istanbul tour for transfer passengers, so even if you will not be staying in this magnificent city, you will at least get a chance to see it.

It is great to think that if you live in and around Birmingham it is now just a relatively short hop to Istanbul, and the new flight will no doubt attract people looking for a city break, as well as providing a convenient connection between these two vital centres for business travellers.

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