Turkish Airlines (TK) has formally filed expanded flight services to the People’s Republic of China for the Northern Summer 2026 (NS26) season, maintaining elevated frequencies on three major China routes that reflect ongoing demand and strengthened aviation ties between Türkiye and China, Aero Routes reported.
The filings, effective 29 March 2026, confirm that the carrier will operate ten weekly flights each to Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK), Beijing and Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN), Guangzhou, and increase service to Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG), Shanghai to ten weekly frequencies with an 11th weekly rotation resuming in mid-May 2026. These plans signal a robust commitment to China’s largest aviation markets.
Details into Turkish’s China Frequency Increases
Istanbul to Beijing
Turkish Airlines, has maintained ten weekly flights on its Istanbul Airport (IST) – Beijing Capital (PEK) route for NS26, instead of the previously filed plan of seven weekly rotations. The scheduled services employ a mix of long-haul widebodies — the Boeing 777-300ER and 787-9 Dreamliner — to support capacity and range requirements on this highly trafficked city pair. Flight numbers TK088 and TK196 operate out of Istanbul, while returning services TK089 and TK197 complete the weekly bank.
| Route | Effective Date | Flight Number | Departure | Arrival | Aircraft Type | Operating Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Istanbul – Beijing Capital | 29 Mar 2026 | TK088 | IST 01:40 | PEK 15:35 | Boeing 777-300ER | Daily |
| Istanbul – Beijing Capital | 29 Mar 2026 | TK196 | IST 16:00 | PEK 05:50 (+1) | Boeing 787-9 | Tue, Wed, Thu |
| Beijing Capital – Istanbul | 29 Mar 2026 | TK089 | PEK 00:05 | IST 05:30 | Boeing 777-300ER | Daily |
| Beijing Capital – Istanbul | 29 Mar 2026 | TK197 | PEK 07:45 | IST 13:10 | Boeing 787-9 | Mon, Wed, Fri |
Details of the Boeing 777-300ER Turkish Will Use on the Istanbul-Beijing Route
According to planespotters.net, Turkish Airlines operates a total of 36 Boeing 777-300ERs and these average 12.7 Years.
In the simplest configuration of Turkish Airlines’ Boeing 777-300ER, there is only economy class where passengers can expect a functional and inviting long-haul cabin offering 496 seats with a 30-inch pitch, 17-inch seat width, and 3 inches of recline, balancing essential comfort with an extensive in-flight entertainment selection, Seat Maps reported.
Istanbul to Guangzhou
Similarly, the Istanbul – Guangzhou (CAN) corridor will see ten weekly rotations, again preserving the higher frequency originally filed for the summer season. Turkish Airlines uses the same widebody aircraft families on these flights, facilitating flexible capacity for both cargo and passenger segments.
Flight TK072 departs Istanbul for Guangzhou in the early morning aboard a Boeing 777-300ER, running daily. A second frequency, TK298, departs Istanbul in the afternoon on a Boeing 787-9, operating Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Return service is split between TK299, a 787-9 rotation on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, and TK073, a daily 777-300ER departing Guangzhou late at night.
| Route | Flight Number | Departure | Arrival | Aircraft Type | Operating Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Istanbul – Guangzhou | TK072 | IST 01:20 | CAN 16:50 | Boeing 777-300ER | Daily |
| Istanbul – Guangzhou | TK298 | IST 15:50 | CAN 07:20 (+1) | Boeing 787-9 | Mon, Wed, Fri |
| Guangzhou – Istanbul | TK299 | CAN 08:50 | IST 15:20 | Boeing 787-9 | Tue, Thu, Sat |
| Guangzhou – Istanbul | TK073 | CAN 23:00 | IST 05:30 (+1) | Boeing 777-300ER | Daily |
Details of the Boeing 787-9 Turkish Will Use on the Istanbul-Guangzhou Route
The aircraft that Turkish will deploy on the Istanbul – Guangzhou route are the same as they will on the Istanbul – Beijing route. We have already touched upon the details of the 777-300ERs. Now let’s have a look at TK’s other route in the increased China services- the Boeing 787-9.
Turkish has 26 Boeing 787-9s and these average 4.5 years old. This is how the Turkish configures this aircraft type:
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Business Class: Configured with 30 fully flat seats offering a 73-inch pitch and 22-inch width, the Boeing 787-9’s business cabin emphasizes long-haul comfort with direct-aisle access, refined dining, and a high-quality in-flight entertainment system.
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Economy Class: Seating 270 passengers with a 31-inch pitch and 17-inch width, the economy cabin focuses on efficiency and practicality, pairing standard recline with a solid entertainment offering and reliable onboard service for extended routes.
Istanbul to Shanghai
The most notable alteration concerns the Istanbul – Shanghai Pudong (PVG) connection. Initially slated for seven weekly flights, THY revised this to ten weekly services from 29 March 2026, with an additional 11th weekly frequency to be restored from 11 May 2026.
The revised schedule continues to utilize the Boeing 777-300ER and Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner platforms. TK026 departs Istanbul daily on a 777-300ER, while a second frequency, TK280, adds a 787-9 rotation on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. On the return leg, TK281 operates as a 787-9 on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and TK027 runs as a daily 777-300ER departing Shanghai late at night.
| Flight Number | Route | Departure Time | Arrival Time | Aircraft Type | Days of Operation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TK026 | IST → PVG | 01:30 | 16:45 | Boeing 777-300ER (77W) | Daily |
| TK280 | IST → PVG | 15:10 | 06:25 (+1) | Boeing 787-9 (789) | Tue, Thu, Sat |
| TK281 | PVG → IST | 07:55 | 14:50 | Boeing 787-9 (789) | Mon, Wed, Fri |
| TK027 | PVG → IST | 22:25 | 05:25 (+1) | Boeing 777-300ER (77W) | Daily |
What’s Driving Turkish Airlines’ China Push
The frequency increases fit into a larger pivot toward Asia. Turkish Airlines carried approximately 3.49 million one-way seats from Istanbul to Asian destinations in Summer 2026, up 17.8% from the prior year, with China-specific capacity rising even faster at 71.5% year-over-year.
Turkish Airlines’ chief financial officer, Metin Gülşen, tied the shift directly to disruption elsewhere in the network. “Asia remained our strongest performing market during the second quarter,” he said on the carrier’s earnings call, adding that “demand continued to benefit from changes in competitive landscape following the conflict in the Middle East, as a portion of passengers shifted away from the Gulf toward alternative routings.”
The expansion also builds on a 2024 bilateral aviation agreement between Türkiye and China that raised the permitted flight allowance between the two countries to 49 weekly frequencies per carrier. That headroom explains why Turkish Airlines was able to add capacity to Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shanghai simultaneously rather than choosing between them.
The China push did not stop with the Summer 2026 schedule. By August, Turkish Airlines had doubled its total weekly China frequencies from 21 to 42, added a new three-times-weekly route to Chengdu Tianfu International Airport (TFU) starting November 11, and identified further western Chinese cities, including Urumqi, as candidates for future service.
