Transport Minister Catherine King on December 13 signed off on a new agreement to increase the carrier’s weekly allocation from seven to 35 by 2025.
Under the terms of the deal, the carrier can immediately fly 21 services per week to Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth before two further increases.
Turkish Airlines has also been granted lucrative fifth freedom traffic rights, allowing the carrier to route flights through third country stopovers such as Singapore.
The new agreement eclipses Qatar Airways’ allowance of 28 flights to major airports and provides a significant alternative to the Gulf states and Singapore for air travel between Australia and Europe.
The government flew into a barrage of flak when it denied an application by Qatar Airways to fly an extra 28 flights per week into Australia amid lobbying by Qantas.
A Senate committee heard the decision prevented greater competition and lower airfares in the aviation market.
The opposition lambasted King for the secrecy around the decision, and the minister cited factors ranging from protecting the national interest to punishing Qatar for invasive strip searches of Australian women in Doha in October 2020.
Opposition transport spokeswoman Bridget McKenzie said the Turkish Airlines announcement showed the government continues to display preferential treatment and make aviation policy decisions with no transparency.
“The inconsistent decision to increase landing rights for other airlines raises further questions as to why the Albanese government denied Qatar Airways’ request for additional flights earlier this year,” McKenzie said.
She also questioned why Turkish Airlines had been given approval over Qatar Airways, which did more to repatriate stranded Australian citizens than any other airline during COVID-19.
– AAP
