UPDATE 31 JAN: Turkish Airlines have announced they will bring forward the start of its long-awaited flights to Australia by two weeks. The first of the 16-hour flights will depart Istanbul on Friday 1 March instead of 15 March, touching down for the first time in Melbourne on Saturday 2 March.
**The inaugural Istanbul-Singapore-Melbourne flight on Friday 1 March will now be on the Boeing 777 with the 2-3-2 layout. This will however change to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner with the modern 1-2-1 Business Class from 6 March. Both hold fully flat beds, however there is more privacy and direct aisle access on the newer Boeing 787 Dreamliner. **
Turkish Airlines is all set to launch its long-awaited Turkish Airlines flights to Australia in March, with the inaugural flight departing from Istanbul on 15 March and arriving in Melbourne on 16 March. The Star Alliance member plans to operate three Boeing 787 flights per week between Istanbul and Melbourne, with a stopover in Singapore in both directions. The airline is, however, eyeing non-stop flights in the future, thanks to its acquisition of ultra long-range Airbus A350-1000 jets featuring brand-new Business Class suites.