Turkish Airlines Commands 28 Daily North American Flights Despite Traffic Rights Constraints
Star Alliance carrier ranks as fifth-largest foreign long-haul operator to US and Canada, with Istanbul hub driving 69% connecting passenger traffic
Turkish Airlines has established itself as a major player in transatlantic aviation, operating up to 28 daily departures to the United States and Canada as of July 2025. The Star Alliance member ranks as the fifth-largest foreign long-haul airline serving North America, though its operations face significant constraints from traffic rights limitations that prevent optimal schedule development, particularly in the Canadian market.
Network Scale and Competitive Position
Turkish Airlines’ 28 daily North American departures represent a substantial operation, though still trailing the combined 42 daily flights operated by the “Big Three” Middle Eastern carriers—Emirates, Etihad Airways, and Qatar Airways. Notably, while Turkish Airlines has increased its operations from a previous record of 26 daily services, the Middle Eastern trio has reduced their combined offering from last year’s peak of 43 flights.
The carrier’s growth trajectory demonstrates the competitive dynamics within the transatlantic market, where Turkish Airlines leverages its Istanbul hub’s geographic advantages to compete against both traditional European carriers and Gulf-based rivals for connecting traffic between North America and Asia/Middle East destinations.
Canadian Operations and Traffic Rights Challenges
Despite serving Canada for 16 years, Turkish Airlines operates all three Canadian routes—Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver—on a sub-daily basis due to restrictive traffic rights agreements. This limitation significantly constrains the carrier’s ability to optimize schedules and capture market demand, particularly affecting its competitiveness against airlines with more favorable bilateral arrangements.
The traffic rights issue exemplifies broader challenges facing carriers that rely heavily on transit passengers rather than local traffic. Turkish Airlines could potentially overcome these restrictions through partnership arrangements, similar to its successful collaboration with IndiGo on 531-seat Boeing 777-300ERs leased from the Turkish carrier.
A logical partnership would involve Air Canada utilizing unused Canadian traffic rights to operate Istanbul services on Turkish Airlines’ behalf. However, Air Canada’s existing Dubai partnership with Emirates makes such collaboration unlikely, illustrating how existing alliances can preclude potentially beneficial arrangements.
Passenger Traffic and Hub Strategy
US Department of Transportation data reveals Turkish Airlines carried 608,000 round-trip passengers between Istanbul and JFK in the year through February 2025, achieving an impressive 87% load factor—among the carrier’s highest US performance metrics. This high utilization demonstrates strong market demand and effective yield management.
The connecting passenger ratio provides crucial insight into Turkish Airlines’ business model: approximately 420,000 of the 608,000 passengers (69%) connected to onward flights in Istanbul rather than terminating their journey there. This high transit percentage validates the carrier’s hub strategy and Istanbul’s positioning as a crucial connecting point.
Istanbul’s geographic position provides Turkish Airlines with distinct competitive advantages for connecting North American and Asian/Middle Eastern traffic. The city’s location allows for efficient routing that often provides time and convenience benefits over alternative connecting hubs in Europe or the Gulf region.
The carrier’s ability to capture 69% connecting traffic validates this geographic advantage while generating revenue from passengers who might otherwise choose competitors. This hub strategy also provides operational resilience by diversifying revenue sources beyond local Turkish market demand.
Operational Challenges and Opportunities
Traffic rights limitations represent the primary constraint on Turkish Airlines’ North American expansion, particularly in Canada where regulatory restrictions prevent the carrier from offering optimal frequencies. Resolving these constraints through diplomatic negotiations or partnership arrangements could unlock significant growth potential.
The seasonal demand variations, evidenced by frequency reductions from four daily summer services to 18 weekly February operations, require sophisticated resource allocation and fleet management. Turkish Airlines’ ability to maintain high load factors despite these variations demonstrates operational expertise and market understanding.
Future Growth Prospects
Turkish Airlines’ position as the fifth-largest foreign long-haul carrier to North America provides a strong foundation for continued growth, subject to regulatory and competitive constraints. The carrier’s success in capturing connecting traffic suggests potential for expansion if traffic rights issues can be resolved.
The development of new routes to underserved destinations, as evidenced by the diverse connecting passenger mix, may provide opportunities for direct service development where sufficient demand exists. Turkish Airlines’ track record of identifying and serving niche markets positions it well for such expansion.
