Turkish Airlines flew 9 million people in September as Sydney shifts to Singapore and Crystal nears

Turkish Airlines had another busy month. The group, which includes its low-cost arm AJet, carried 9 million passengers in September 2026, according to traffic figures released on Oct. 9. Its planes were 86.8% full, and domestic flights ran even fuller, at 88.2%. Capacity, measured in available seat kilometers, rose 2.5% from a year earlier.

Cargo grew faster than passengers. Turkish moved 205,700 tons of cargo and mail in September, up 13%. For the first nine months of the year, the group has flown 73 million people, 5.2% more than in the same stretch of 2025. It ended September with 567 aircraft.

Those numbers set the scene for a winter of change. Turkish is reshaping its route map, getting ready to launch a new business class and still waiting on a new home at New York's JFK.

Sydney now stops in Singapore

The biggest network change for long-haul travelers starts on Oct. 26. Turkish's Istanbul–Sydney flights will stop in Singapore instead of Kuala Lumpur. The service runs five times a week on a two-class Airbus A350-900, and the flight numbers change to TK22 and TK23.

The switch matters for more than Australians. Turkish has rights to sell the Singapore–Sydney leg on its own, so you can book just that sector. It gives travelers one more lie-flat option on a busy route that Singapore Airlines dominates. Melbourne flights still stop in Singapore three times a week and are not changing.

In Singapore, Turkish passengers use the SATS Premier Lounge in Terminal 1. In Sydney, eligible flyers head to the Air New Zealand Lounge. Turkish still plans nonstop Istanbul–Sydney flights on the A350-1000, but they have slipped to late 2027.

More flights to South Africa, fewer to some smaller cities

Turkish is also adding flights to South Africa this winter. Johannesburg goes from seven to 10 weekly flights from Oct. 25, and Cape Town follows on Oct. 26. That lifts the airline to 20 weekly flights in the country.

Some cities are going the other way. Turkish has dropped 11 destinations for at least part of the winter. Juba, Kinshasa, Libreville, Luanda and Lusaka are off the schedule through Oct. 24. Billund, Ferghana, Kirkuk, Leipzig/Halle, Najaf and Turkistan are gone through late March 2027. The airline has not said why.

Minsk came back on Sept. 20, Turkish's first Belarus flights since 2022. The route went daily on Oct. 6. Havana is a different story. Turkish stopped flying there in March, citing a jet fuel shortage and weak demand. It had planned a return this month, but it now expects to restart in late March 2027.

Crystal business class is almost here

The product most frequent flyers want to see is Crystal, Turkish's new business class. It has been delayed more than once, but the airline now says it will debut on new A350-900s from November 2026. Larger A350-1000s will follow.

Crystal uses a staggered 1-2-1 layout, so every seat has direct aisle access. Every seat also gets a privacy door. Some center pairs form "honeymoon" suites for couples. Turkish builds the seat itself rather than buying it from a big supplier.

Older Boeing 777s will get the seat later. Those retrofits are now planned for 2027 or 2028, and the business cabin on each plane will shrink from 49 to 44 seats. Until then, the 777 keeps its older seats, and not every one has direct aisle access.

JFK and Newark

At JFK, Turkish is set to move into the New Terminal One with a much larger lounge. That terminal is now delayed to early 2027. For now, the Turkish Airlines Lounge at JFK stays where it is.

Across the river at Newark, Turkish made unwelcome headlines. On Sept. 15, the A350 operating TK30 to Istanbul taxied onto Runway 4L without clearance. The crew had read back a confusing instruction from the tower. No one was reported hurt. The jet taxied off the runway, and the crew was given a number to call about a possible pilot deviation.

What it means for lounge users

The hub in Istanbul is still the main event. The Turkish Airlines Lounge Business remains one of the best business class lounges anywhere, and the Miles&Smiles Lounge serves elite members flying in economy.

Beyond Istanbul, watch the fleet. Turkish has ordered up to 150 Boeing 737 MAX jets for short-haul flying, and the first Crystal A350s arrive next month. If you plan a Turkish long-haul trip in 2027, check the aircraft type before you book. It will tell you which business class you get.