Australia’s Consul General in Istanbul, Tony Huber, said that Turkish Airlines’ (THY) launch of a flight to Melbourne will make it easier for business people to establish new business contacts.
THY, the airline company that flies to the most countries in the world, started flights from Istanbul Airport to Melbourne, Australia, via Singapore.
While the flights are expected to contribute to the tourism, investment and trade volume of the two countries, THY stands out as the only European company flying to Melbourne Airport.
Thanks to the new route supported by the State of Victoria and Melbourne Airport, THY will fly to one of the largest commercial centers of Victoria, connecting Turkiye to Australia’s largest community of Turkish origin and the fastest growing state.
THY’s new flights will increase Melbourne’s access to European, Middle Eastern, Balkan and African markets via Istanbul, contributing to its tourism, international education, business and trade potential.
THY aims to offer direct flights to Melbourne and other potential cities in the country within a few years by purchasing new aircraft that have the capacity to operate the Istanbul-Melbourne flight non-stop.
“There is plenty of room for growth in both trade and investment volumes.”
Australia’s Consul General in Istanbul, Tony Huber, told the AA correspondent that the bilateral trade volume between Turkiye and Australia is around $2.1 billion. “Trade between our two countries is important to us. There is a lot of room for growth in both trade volume and investment volume between Turkiye and Australia.”
Pointing out that trade is developing between the two countries, Huber said, “There is a basis for doing more. There is mainly trade in goods between Turkiye and Australia. We have many products that pass through Turkiye and go to other countries.”
Noting that Australia has a significant advantage in the service and education sectors, Huber continued his words as follows:
“We see that there are many students who can benefit from the areas of education in which Australia is strong. Data shows that international travel and education have returned to pre-Covid-19 levels. The areas of business, services and tourism are also clearly seen as the closest areas for growth. I think this is the main reason why Turkish Airlines was motivated to start flights to Australia. Thus, there will soon be a flow of thousands of people every week between the two countries. Many people will transit through Istanbul to travel to Western Europe and beyond.”
Tony Huber stated that Turkiye and Australia have changed significantly economically in the last 10 years, and emphasized that the two countries want to create new areas of cooperation due to the nature of the changes in each other’s economies.
Stating that the economies of Turkiye and Australia are complementary to each other, Huber said, “What I foresee is that there will be many more partnerships that develop their economic interests and sell goods and services to the world. Partnerships will be established to develop and create new supply chains. Both countries will benefit from this.”
Huber pointed out that the greatest strength between the two countries is public ties and said, “There are between 100 and 200 thousand Turks living in Australia. These people are connected to their families, and their families work or own businesses that use these diaspora connections. Also, THY has flights from Australia to Western Europe. It offers a brand new corridor for passengers.”
“We will see an increase in economic activities”
Australia’s Consul General in Istanbul, Huber, said that THY’s Melbourne flight will provide convenience for business people who will establish new business relationships using these transportation connections.
Huber said, “The investment volume between the two countries is at very moderate levels. After these flights, I think we will see an increase in economic activities, including an increase in investment between Turkiye and Australia.”
Stating that air services will be more competitive with the shorter flight time between countries, Huber said, “International aviation analysts say that this will reduce travel prices between the two countries by 15% to 20%. The promotional flights offered by THY are definitely a great incentive.”
Noting that Turkiye and Australia have long-standing historical ties, Huber concluded his words as follows:
“Our Anzac ties are perhaps the most deep-rooted among our countries and date back to the sad events that took place more than a century ago. With THY’s flight, the number of people who want to visit Turkiye and commemorate those who lost their lives on the anniversary of the Gallipoli Wars will increase rapidly, as will the participation of their families. I think that the increase in the number of people flying between our countries will create new opportunities, new experiences and connections, and communication between the two great countries will increase rapidly.”
Source: AA / Prepared by Irem Yildiz