ISTANBOL: Turkey’s national flag carrier, Turkish Airlines announced late Wednesday, May 20, it was extending the cancellation of its flights amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Domestic flights will be grounded until June 4 and international flights until June 10, the carrier said in a statement.
The company, which carried more than 74 million passengers last year, had previously suspended all domestic and international flights until May 28 as a public safety measure against the pandemic.
Budget carrier Pegasus, which had already canceled international flights until June 14, said it would also cancel domestic flights until June 3.
As part of measures, carry-on bags will not be allowed in the cabin area on Turkish Airlines flights but will now be checked with other baggage.
The usual 8-kilogram (17-pound) carry-on bags for international and domestic flights will be added to passengers’ luggage allowance. Handbags will be permitted on flights.
THY earlier this month drafted a flight plan for June, July and August.
According to the three-month flight plan, starting in June, Turkish Airlines looks to fly to 22 destinations in 19 countries, including Canada, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, Japan, China, South Korea, Singapore, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Norway, Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium, Belarus, Israel, Kuwait, Georgia and Lebanon, with a weekly frequency of 75 flights.
The airline is projected to resume 60% of domestic flights, then to add more destinations in July and August.
