Turkish Airlines will open nonstop service between Istanbul Airport (IST) and Chengdu Tianfu International Airport (TFU) on November 11, 2026, with three round trips per week, according to Aviation Week.
Outbound flights depart Istanbul on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays; return services from Chengdu operate on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The route will be flown by Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft configured with 300 seats: 30 in Business Class and 270 in Economy Class, according to Business Travel News.
Chengdu will become Turkish Airlines' fourth mainland China destination, joining Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. The airline targets Chengdu's 21-million-person metropolitan area, which has grown into one of China's leading technology, manufacturing, logistics and aviation centres. The city also holds UNESCO City of Gastronomy designation, adding a leisure dimension alongside the business traffic that anchors most long-haul Chinese routes.
CEO Ahmet Olmuştur stated: "China holds a strategically important position among Turkish Airlines' key markets. With the launch of our flights to Chengdu, one of China's foremost tourism, technology and aviation centres, we are further strengthening our flight network in the country."
The new service will compete with Sichuan Airlines on the TFU–IST corridor, according to Business Travel Executive.
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