Al-Qassim welcomes Turkish carrier

Turkish Airlines, the national carrier of Turkey, is further strengthening its focus on Saudi Arabia, one of the airline’s fastest growing markets, with the launch of direct flights from Al-Qassim to Istanbul.
The increase in Turkish Airlines flight network and capacity across the Kingdom is testament to the robust growth of 66 percent in passenger traffic in the country in the first five months of this year, compared to the same period in 2011.
The addition of this seventh city in Saudi, now directly connects passengers on Turkish Airlines flights from Al-Qassim to more countries than any other airline, with 229 destinations across 100 countries.
The inaugural flight from Istanbul International Airport was welcomed at Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz Regional Airport in Al-Qassim by the airport’s senior representatives with a signing ceremony and celebratory reception.
GACA members and VIP guests and passengers were present at the event.
Ziya Tas0kent, senior vice president marketing and sales for Turkish Airlines, said: “As part of Turkish Airlines planned expansion in Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East we are delighted to be launching direct flights from Al Qassim to Istanbul, connecting over a million residents from the city to more than 220 worldwide destinations.”
He added: “This new route has been launched in response to the robust growth in passenger traffic across Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East where our 32 destinations recorded an additional one million passengers in 2012 compared to the previous year, an upward trend we aim to maintain with new routes and increased capacity.”
The rising popularity of Turkey as a holiday destination is also propelling the airline’s growth, owing to an increasing number of Saudi tourists frequenting the country for its natural riches, historical landmarks and enchanting blend of Eastern and Western culture.
According to a recent announcement from the Turkish Embassy in Riyadh, Turkey almost doubled the number of Saudi visitors from 2011–2012 and aims to increase this to 400,000 this year.
Muhammed Bilal Doner, general manager for Turkish Airlines in Al Qassim, said: “The direct flights from Al-Qassim are available just in time for residents to travel directly to Istanbul and beyond destinations for the summer holiday season and enjoy the network that offers connections to every corner of the globe.”
He said: “The airline’s new capacity in Saudi will also provide a platform for further business developments with Turkey owing to Al Qassim’s position as a rising city of commerce in the Kingdom.”
Turkish Airlines’ vast domestic network will provide travelers from Al-Qassim connections to famed natural areas of the country frequented by increasing number of Arab and especially Saudi tourists including Bursa, Antalya and the Black Sea, with the diverse attraction of green spaces, rivers, lakes, waterfalls and luxurious hospitality.
The flights from Al-Qassim are scheduled four times a week on Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Sunday and introductory round trip fairs start at 1,360 Saudi Riyals, inclusive of taxes and fees.