Turkish Airlines, the national carrier of Turkey and “Europe’s best airline,” has announced two-way airfares of up to 50 percent off, for passengers from Saudi Arabia as part of a new campaign to promote the tourist capital as a top travel destination for GCC travelers.

Building on the continued passenger growth achieved by Turkish Airlines from Saudi Arabia, the promotional airfares start at SR958, inclusive of tax and service charges, and have been launched for advance bookings to Istanbul over the winter months.

Murat Bas, VP marketing and sales for Turkish Airlines in the Middle East and Cyprus, said: “Turkish Airlines has witnessed tremendous growth from Saudi Arabia, a 16 percent increase in passenger traffic in the first seven months of this year compared to the same period in 2012. We connect passengers to more countries than any other airline through our seven-city network in the Kingdom.

“Istanbul is increasingly becoming popular as a holiday destination for Gulf residents owing to the unique location of the city. With the flexibility of flights from 33 destinations and less than a five-hour flight time from most of the Gulf region, the city is a growing cultural hotspot for enriching city breaks.”

The limited roundtrip fares from Saudi Arabia can be booked from now until Oct. 19 for holidays to and from Istanbul between Nov. 1 and March 31, and are available from the seven-city network of Turkish Airlines in Saudi Arabia, including Madinah, Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Taif, Yanbu and Qassim.

This year, Turkish Airlines marks its milestone 80th anniversary, with 66 weekly connections from Saudi Arabia to 239 destinations across 104 countries. The new Istanbul campaign offers travelers the award-winning service of Europe’s Best Airline, at a fraction of the cost, and opportunity to experience the magical charm of Istanbul, famed for its historical riches, stunning natural scenery and contemporary lifestyle.