Turkish Airlines has made significant reductions across its network over the past week, suspending eighteen routes and cutting frequencies on numerous services. Within the region, the reductions will impact Sarajevo, Zagreb, Ljubljana and Pristina. Overall, the airline has removed more than 100 weekly departures per month from its schedule (or over 200 weekly flights including return services) from May through October, with the deepest cuts concentrated in May and June, when more than 140 weekly departures have been withdrawn.
In Sarajevo, Turkish Airlines will remove an average of three weekly services from its initial plan from July through the end of the summer season in October. As frequencies vary week by week, this translates into a total of eighty departures from Sarajevo in July, down from the 93 initially planned, 82 in August, down from 93, 77 in September, down from ninety, and 62 in October through the end of the summer season, compared to the planned 72. This is also below last year’s levels, when the airline maintained an average of 23 weekly rotations.
In Zagreb, Turkish Airlines is removing one to two weekly services from its schedule starting in June. As a result, the Star Alliance member will operate between nineteen and twenty weekly flights from June through October, down from the planned 21 weekly services and below last year’s 20 to 22 weekly flights, depending on the month. As frequencies also vary by week, this translates into a total of 85 departures from Zagreb in June, down from the planned ninety, 84 in July, down from 93, 86 in August, down from 93, 81 in September, down from ninety, and 67 in October through the end of the summer season, compared to the planned 72.
In Ljubljana and Pristina, the reductions will be more modest and currently affect only a single month. Turkish Airlines will reduce operations between Ljubljana and Istanbul in June from the planned 77 departures to 68, with frequencies varying by week. As a result, it will maintain the same number of flights from the Slovenian capital as last year. Similarly, in Pristina, services in July will be reduced, with the carrier planning 51 departures during the month, down from 62. This is also below the 58 flights operated in July 2025.
I wonder if these massive TK network cuts have something to do with the sudden replacement of its management team last week
ReplyDeleteMost likely. Which makes you think what is the actual state of TK's finances.
DeleteWith state owned and run airlines, especially located in countries with not very good transparency of government finances you can never really know.
DeleteTrue dat.
DeleteOur region is the most transparent and least corrupt in the world.
Delete😆
DeleteMost of the 18 routes that were cut are in Africa. I think it has to do with lower demand over there. Non-African routes are:
DeleteBillund
Ferghana
Kirkuk
Leipzig
Najaf
Turkistan
Route cuts are only part of the story. As the article states they have made massive frequency cuts. Removing over 200 flights a week is huge.
DeleteThis is not looking good. Every day someone is cutting something.
ReplyDeleteThe jet fuel will be problem in May as the conflict do not stop, and the chance of any oil tanker to pass there is just a few of them every day, but the oil they bring is not even close to be enough...
DeleteNot that bad, but interesting how many int. destinations they completely shut down
ReplyDeletemostly in Africa
DeletePRN and LJU will most likely be cut for other months too.
ReplyDeleteI think TK has already made some capacity adjustments in LJU since PC entered the market (prices are also tangibly lower). If am not mistaken B737 is now deployed on LJU route more often than before, when it was mostly if not entirely A321.
DeleteUnfortunate
ReplyDeleteAir serbia could benefit from this
ReplyDeleteYes, LH and TK and other major carries have issues, but magically JU can isolate itself from aviation reality and replace everybody.
DeleteJU has a good track record of navigating storms and utilising opportunities. It’s not
Deletemagic.
OU has magic with Jasmin leadership, not YU. Jasmin magic in too small country fighting with rivals like Ryan and Wizz.
Delete@9:45 LH and TK cutting flights across the region will be a terrible thing for JU which is not cutting anything
DeletePoor ZAG slashed again
ReplyDeleteI've flown to and from Zagreb at least 30 times this year and I'd say 95% of my flights were full or had 2-3 seats empty. Hopefully lf's make up for losses
DeleteYield is not good.
Delete30 times this year? Are you a flight attendant?
DeleteIf you travel for business it isn't much at all.
DeleteI live in Riyadh but now during the tensions in the Middle East me and my family relocated back home for a few weeks, travelling back today. I flew at least once every week for 2 months and took a family vacation, all from Zagreb
DeleteDemand for Turkey and long distance holidays is down this year. People want to be closer to home.
ReplyDeleteI'm happy for that, intra-Europe travel will dominate this year.
DeleteQuality is much better overseas compared to many European markets, let alone value.
DeleteIt is cheaper to go on holidays in Egypt, Turkey or Tunisia for sure.
DeleteNow quality is a different matter all together.
Some people do not mind low quality food buffets, lax food and kitchen hygiene regulations or pussy vendors in the tourist areas who do not take no for an answer.
There are hpliday places outside of the Mediterranean you know.
DeleteYes, Mediterranean places are not overseas.
DeleteAnd now they are much more expensive because of the plane tickets going through the roof after Jet A fuel doubling in price over the last two months.
DeleteTK cuts are mainly to destinations over 4 hours away.
DeleteFor the upcoming month, cancellations are mainly in Europe.
DeleteAdmin I'm talking about the 18 routes that TK cuts completely.
DeleteAfrican network is getting butchered. HAV too where it used to be the only airline outside of Spain still serving it.
DeleteSkopje keeps winning
ReplyDeletethere will be charters even from Konya
DeleteSkopje will have alot of Turkish destinations: Istanbul, Sabiha Gokcen,Ankara,Bodrum,Izmir,Antalya,charters from Konya as well Istanbul to Ohrid
DeleteThey are cutting in more or less high season.
ReplyDeleteNot a good sign
Do they still have neo fleet issues?
ReplyDeleteThey still do and expect to have till 2028.
DeleteTurkish cut aslo a lot of other destinations, not just downgraded, but also cancelled. It looks TK doesn't have profit form last year to absorb shocks
ReplyDeleteTheir cuts are overwhelmingly in Africa.
DeleteLooking at the airline’s operations in May, Europe accounts for the largest share of all cancelled flights introduced this week, representing 42% of the total. Africa follows as the second most affected region, accounting for 15% of cancellations. These figures refer specifically to cancellations made during the course of this week.
DeleteAdmin I'm talking about the 18 routes that TK cuts completely.
DeleteYes Admin, he means the number of destinations they cut, not the frequencies.
DeleteNo cuts in Montenegro's TGD and TIV airports.
ReplyDeleteSeems like it keeps on winning.
No cuts in Skopje as well
DeleteSpeaking of TIV, they could benefit from a proper bus connection to the coastal towns. Magistrala is mere 65m from the entrance/exit, yet Tivat Airport bus stop (which, btw, is not operational at the moment) is more than 300m away.
DeleteTK's full cut list is here:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.aeroroutes.com/eng/260424-tkns26
Looks like winter is coming!
Dramatic much?
DeleteAirplane fuel prices going up 106% in Europe and 135% in the Middle East is pretty dramatic I must say.
Deletehttps://www.iata.org/en/publications/economics/fuel-monitor/
Hm...no cuts for Skopje...even Ohrid? Seems that Turkish considers Macedonia a home market. More and more evidence suggest there is truth to the rumor that Erdogan has said they are going to restore Ottoman empire, but not with military means, but by flooding the region with people and money.
ReplyDeleteOr maybe Turks don't need a visa to visit Macedonia and it's relatively cheap compared to other destinations.
DeleteTAV makes sure that Turkish carriers get preferential treatment.
DeleteTurkish people are visiting Macedonia during whole year,they are N0.1 tourists in our country in years behind. Thats why the demand is strong
DeleteTurkish cuts some frequencies every year. Every single time i've flown with them they changed my flight because my original flight was cancelled.
ReplyDeleteTrue. They have a reputation for flight schedule adjustments ...otherwise known as totally changing your flight plans.
DeleteNo cuts for SKP plus adding OHD as summer seasonal sounds good for Macedonia , for now 7 routes are scheduled between Macedonia and Turkey which is amazing!!!
ReplyDeleteYeah as people have said Turkish tourists adore North Macedonia. Quick flight too making it ideal for a trip
Delete