OREANDA-NEWS.   Qatar Airways today announced its plans to commence four-weekly passenger services to Istanbul’s Sabiha Gokchen Airport, from 22 May 2014.
Sabiha Gokchen Airport will become Qatar Airways’ third destination in Turkey after Istanbul Ataturk Airport, started in 2004 and Ankara, started in 2010. The airline currently operates 10 flights-a-week to Istanbul Ataturk Airport and four-flights-week to Ankara.
With the addition of Sabiha Gokchen Airport, the number of flights to Turkey rises from 14 to 18 frequencies each week.  The airport will serve travellers from the eastern (Asian) side of Istanbul in addition to Ataturk Airport which currently services the population in the western (European) side of the city separated by the Bosporus.
The new route will be served by an Airbus A320 in a 2 cabin configuration, offering 12 Business Class and 132 Economy Class seats.
Situated closest to some of the highly developed industrial cities of Turkey – Kocaeli, Bursa, Izmir and Sakarya, Sabiha Gokchen Airport is one among the two international airports serving the city of Istanbul.
Qatar Airways will be the only award-winning Five-star airline offering excellent connections for travellers to and from Sabiha Gokchen Airport to over 100 destinations.
Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said: "Turkey’s aviation industry has experienced unprecedented growth over the past few years and we are delighted to be part of this growth by launching additional capacity into this vibrant market.
"With increased government investment in the private sector and major infrastructure developments underway, we see huge market potential in adding more capacity to Turkey."
The Finance Center of Turkey is just 15 minutes away, and Technopark Istanbul is just 1km away from Sabiha Gokchen Airport. Some of the largest multi-national companies and banks are also headquartered within close vicinity of the airport.
The fourth most populous city of Turkey, Bursa is located near Sabiha Gokchen airport and is famous for its “Uludag Mountain” and winter ski resorts. Yalova, which is also located nearby is known for its hot springs and thermal baths.
Business and leisure markets to and from Turkey include GCC countries and Asia-Pacific destinations like – UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bangkok, Maldives, Bali, Singapore, Melbourne and Hong Kong.
Qatar Airways has seen rapid growth in just 16 years of operations, currently flying a modern fleet of 128 aircraft to 133 key business and leisure destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and The Americas.