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Turkish Airlines Cuts 18 International Routes: What Travelers Need To Know

27 Apr, 2026By : Travomint

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Turkish Airlines has made a significant move by reducing its international service to 18 routes. The changes affect operations from its primary hub at Istanbul Airport (IST). This major decision by Turkish Airlines in 2026 will reduce its schedule by over 100 weekly departures, or over 200 weekly flights between May and October. This bold move has generated significant discussion in the aviation industry and tourist sectors. These reductions in Turkish Airlines' services to 18 destinations could result in major disruptions across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.

Turkish Airlines Suspends 18 Destinations

All the destinations suspended by Turkish Airlines include Juba, Kinshasa, Luanda, Lusaka, Aqaba, Billund, Bissau, Ferghana, Turkistan, Pointe Noire, Najaf, Monrovia, Libreville, Leipzig/Halle, Havana, Hurghada, Kirkuk, and Freetown. The travellers would no longer be able to travel to the mentioned cities via Turkish Airlines, resulting in fewer direct options.

The decision by Turkish Airlines to cut these routes is likely to shift its resources to other, more profitable routes to different regions and destinations.

Impact of Turkish Airlines Route Reductions

The suspension of flights to 18 destinations by Turkish Airlines is a significant move that will substantially impact the aviation industry and travellers who rely on the airline for these routes. In addition to the total suspension of services to 18 destinations, the carrier plans to reduce the frequency of its flights to destinations including Sarajevo, Zagreb, Ljubljana, and Pristina.

For Sarajevo, Turkish Airlines will reduce the average number of weekly flights by 3 from July through the end of the summer season in October. This led to a total of 80 departures from Sarajevo in July (down from the scheduled 93), 82 in August (originally planned at 93), 77 in September (originally planned at 90), and 62 in October through the end of summer (originally planned at 72).

For Zagreb, Turkish Airlines will reduce its frequency to one or two flights per week, starting in June. With this change, Turkish Airlines will operate between 19 and 20 weekly flights from June through October, reduced from the initially planned 21 weekly departures depending on the month. The frequency of flights varies, resulting in 85 departures from Zagreb in June (down from the originally scheduled 90), 84 in July, 86 in August, 81 in September, and 67 through the end of summer in October.

For destinations like Ljubljana and Pristina, the reductions in Turkish Airlines flights currently affect only a single month. The airline will reduce its operations between Ljubljana and Istanbul in June from the initially planned 77 departures to 68. Similarly, for Pristina, Turkish Airlines' services will be reduced in July from the initially planned 62 departures to 51.