Turkish Airlines is on an expansion spree. After recently adding Detroit and Denver to its list of destinations within six months, the airline is now eyeing six new destinations in the United States. That means more connecting flights to India from USA. These destinations include Philadelphia, Charlotte, Orlando, Minneapolis, Phoenix, and Raleigh/Las Vegas.
“Our number of destinations will go up to 20 in the US,” said Turkish Airlines’ chairman Ahmet Bolat in a recent interview. Currently, Turkish Airlines’ US destinations include New York, Newark, Washington DC, Boston, and Atlanta on the East Coast; Chicago and Detroit in the Midwest; Dallas and Houston on the South Coast; and San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Seattle on the West Coast.
Turkish Airlines Expands into U.S. Markets
Turkish Airlines would be the first Middle Eastern carrier to operate at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, since Charlotte, Philadelphia, Orlando, Minneapolis, and Phoenix are less competitive markets in international aviation. Lufthansa is the only European airline serving Charlotte after British Airways terminated its service in North Carolina. Currently, there are hardly any one-stop flights from Charlotte and India. American Airlines and United Airlines offer two-stop itineraries in codeshare with their respective partners – Qatar Airways and Emirates.
Flights from Philadelphia to India: Shifting Landscape and Competition Heats Up
Philadelphia shares a market profile similar to Charlotte. It ceased to be a destination for Qatar Airways, Air Canada, and Air France. Turkish Airlines would be the only Middle Eastern carrier to include Philadelphia in its US-India network via Istanbul. However, Lufthansa and British Airways operate one-stop flights between Philadelphia and India, providing competition to Turkish Airlines. Additionally, American Airlines and Qatar Airways code-share on Philadelphia to India flights via Doha, presenting further competition to the Turkish flag carrier.
USA to India: Airlines Take Flight with New Connections
Connecting Flights to India from USA is a key growth driver for airlines in the post-pandemic competitive landscape. Recently, Japan Airlines teamed up with IndiGo to provide seamless domestic connections to 14 cities in India from two gateway airports: New Delhi IGI and Kempegowda Bengaluru. In June 2024, Lufthansa launched inaugural flights to Minneapolis in the Midwest and Raleigh in North Carolina, following the earlier launch of flights to Hyderabad. Additionally, Etihad connected Boston to India in March 2024.
Turkish Airlines Eyes Phoenix for US Expansion
Turkish Airlines is setting its sights on expanding its US network to 20 destinations or more, and Phoenix, Arizona, could be next. This move would leverage their existing network that overlaps with American Airlines hubs.
If Turkish Airlines takes flight in Phoenix, they'd be the first Middle Eastern carrier offering one-stop connections to India via Istanbul. Currently, Phoenix travelers face two-stop options primarily operated by United and American Airlines with their code-share partners. This new route could shake things up for Phoenix flyers looking for a more convenient way to reach India.
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