Turkish Airlines Announces Regular Flights to Yerevan

Turkish Airlines has announced that it will begin operating regular flights to Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. The airline shared the news through its Public Disclosure Platform (KAP), stating that the decision was made after reviewing its current resources and market demand. Along with Yerevan, Turkish Airlines will also launch flights to the Romanian city of Timișoara.

This development is a major step in regional air travel, as the history of flights between Turkey and Armenia has gone through many changes over the past three decades.

Direct air travel between the two countries began in the mid-1990s, even though the land border between Turkey and Armenia has remained closed since 1993. In 1995, the air corridor was opened, allowing charter flights to operate. These flights, usually twice a week, were carried out by Armavia, Armenia’s former national carrier, along with several smaller Turkish operators.

In October 2015, the charter system was replaced by regular scheduled flights. The service was operated not by Turkish Airlines, but by AtlasGlobal, a Turkish private airline. By January 2016, AtlasGlobal was offering almost daily flights between Istanbul and Yerevan, giving travelers consistent options for direct air travel.

This regular service came to a halt in 2020 when AtlasGlobal declared bankruptcy. For about two years, there were no direct flights connecting Istanbul and Yerevan. The situation changed again on February 2, 2022, when commercial flights resumed. Pegasus Airlines, a Turkish low-cost carrier, and FlyOne Armenia began operating the Yerevan–Istanbul route, restoring air connectivity.

The launch of Turkish Airlines flights to Yerevan carries a significance that goes beyond aviation. For Armenians, any direct engagement with Turkey is layered with the painful memory of the 1915 Armenian Genocide, which the Turkish state continues to officially deny.

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