Turkish Airlines’ inaugural flight from Istanbul has touched down in Sydney soil for the first time, marking a monumental milestone for the carrier.

The service to Sydney comes on the back of the recent launch of flights to Melbourne and the capital of New South Wales is the 351st destinations across six continents for the carrier.

The new 19-hour, 9,300-mile flight path, utilising a modern fleet of Airbus A350-900 aircraft, will provide thousands of travellers per year with a cost-effective and direct gateway between Sydney and Istanbul, operating four times a week via Kuala Lumpur.

“This momentous occasion marks the longest flight path in Turkish Airlines’ history as we proudly add our second Australian city to our network,” said Turkish Airlines CEO, Bilal Ekşi.

“The arrival of our first flight from Istanbul to Sydney represents our ongoing commitment to connecting travellers across the globe, providing a seamless gateway between Europe and Australia with the comfort and hospitality Turkish Airlines is known for.”

Ekşi said the new route will soon be a direct one, with plans afoot to introduce non-stop flights from Australia to Europe by 2026.

“Once we receive aircraft capable of completing the journey in a single flight, we look forward to further expanding our services with Australia’s first non-stop flights to Istanbul in the near future.”

Special launch prices for Turkish Airlines’ Sydney to Istanbul flights are AUD$1,489 AUD and USD$999 for Istanbul to Sydney flights.