Turkish Airlines will operate fewer flights between Istanbul and Podgorica this winter as Montenegro prepares to introduce visa requirements for Turkish nationals. The carrier has reduced its planned schedule from eighteen weekly flights throughout the season to fourteen. The revised frequency will match levels seen in November and December 2025, when services were unexpectedly reduced following Montenegro’s temporary introduction of visa requirements for Turkish citizens, which were subsequently lifted. From January until the start of the 2027 summer season in late March, Turkish Airlines will operate two fewer weekly flights than during the same period in 2026.

As part of its European Union accession process, Montenegro will introduce visa requirements for nationals of Turkey, Belarus, China, Russia and Saudi Arabia from November 1. Turkish Airlines’ Podgorica services carry a notable number of Turkish travellers, as well as connecting passengers travelling to and from Russia.