Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu announced the good news that a historic agreement has been reached between Turkey and China in the field of civil aviation. Minister Uraloğlu stated that the right to weekly passenger flights has been significantly increased with the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two countries, and emphasized that this development is the beginning of a new era for Turkish civil aviation in the Asian market. This first increase after approximately 15 years will provide Turkish airlines with the opportunity to start flights to important cities in China, while also bringing with it a significant capacity increase in cargo transportation.
Massive Increase in Weekly Passenger Flights
Minister Uraloğlu stated that the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the General Directorate of Civil Aviation (SHGM) and the Civil Aviation Authority of China (CAAC) in Beijing on May 13, 2025 is a historic step that will strengthen the strategic position of Turkish civil aviation in the Asian continent. Stating that the increase that has been expected for approximately fifteen years has finally occurred, Uraloğlu said, “We have increased the weekly passenger flight rights between the two countries from 21 frequencies to 49 frequencies. In a giant market with global importance such as China, Turkish civil aviation is virtually starting a new era. This increase offers a unique opportunity for our airline companies to expand their operations and reach more passengers.”
New Flight Destinations Open to Turkish Airlines
Minister Uraloğlu emphasized that the agreement not only increases the number of flights but also grants Turkish airlines the right to launch direct flights to important trade and cultural centers of China, and evaluated this development with the following words: “Our Turkish airlines will now be able to organize direct flights to Chengdu, one of the important metropolises of China, Xi'an, the starting point of the historical Silk Road, and Urumqi, the important trade center of Central Asia. These new flight destinations will provide significant convenience for passengers traveling for both business and tourism purposes and will contribute to the further strengthening of cultural and economic ties between the two countries.”
Double Benefits in Air Cargo Transportation
Minister Uraloğlu, who stated that the cooperation between Turkey and China is not limited to passenger transportation, announced the good news that a significant capacity increase has also been achieved in air cargo transportation. Uraloğlu, who announced that after Chinese air cargo carriers started flights to Türkiye, the current 14 weekly frequencies will be doubled to 28 frequencies, emphasized that this development will make a significant contribution to Türkiye's logistics power. "This significant increase will make the logistics power of Turkish air transportation in the Asia-Pacific region much more visible and sustainable. This strategic increase in both passenger and cargo capacity will play an important role in achieving our goal of making Istanbul Airport a key global transfer center and a giant logistics base between the East and the West," he said.
Strategic Rise and New Targets in Asia-Pacific
Reminding that Türkiye has recently taken important steps in cooperation with other countries in the Asia-Pacific region, Minister Uraloğlu gave examples of the memorandums of understanding recently signed with Thailand, Hong Kong and Australia. Stating that Türkiye’s strategic rise in this region will continue, Uraloğlu said, “Now it is the turn of important actors in the region such as Indonesia and Singapore. Turkish carriers no longer only transport passengers and cargo; they are establishing strong and permanent ties between continents. We are becoming an important actor that reshapes the competition in the civil aviation sector in the Asia-Pacific region.” These statements clearly demonstrate Türkiye’s ambitious goals in the field of civil aviation and its determination to increase its effectiveness in the Asia-Pacific market. This historic agreement between Turkey and China is considered a strategic step that will make a significant contribution to the further development of economic and cultural relations between the two countries and will solidify the place of Turkish civil aviation in the global arena.
