Turkish Airlines has announced the resumption of flights between Istanbul and Benghazi, Libya, marking its 51st destination in Africa.
The service, set to begin in January, will operate three times a week using a mix of Boeing 737-800, 737-900ER, and 737 MAX 8 aircraft, reinforcing the airline’s extensive African network.
According to simpleflying.com, due to Libya’s civil war, it last served the city in 2014. It will take off nine months after it resumed flying to Tripoli, this time Migita rather than Tripoli International, which was the capital’s main airport but which was damaged and no longer used.
The Star Alliance carrier expects passenger flights to 51 African airports in 2025. They are in 38 countries. Egypt has the most destinations (four), followed by South Africa (three) and Tanzania (three). Algeria, Cameroon, Libya, Morocco, and Nigeria each have two destinations, with the remaining 30 countries having one.
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While Turkish Airlines will have an average of 42 daily departures to Africa next year, the number varies from 35 to a high of 49. Significantly, 49 (planned for 19 days between June and October 2025) will be its record. When will it hit 50?
Narrowbodies will operate 72% of flights (!), including 58% to sub-Saharan Africa. When all equipment is considered, Turkish Airlines has more flights to Egypt, Algeria, and Tanzania than anywhere else on this vast continent.
In the past 20 years, the carrier has ceased flying to 11 African airports, excluding closed ones. Gone are Batna, Kano, Khartoum (due to the civil war; it will return at some point), Luxor, Malabo, Misurata (due to the civil war), Mombasa, Moroni, Port Harcourt, Sebha (due to the civil war), and Tlemcen. Some began just before COVID hit.
Where else would you like Turkish Airlines to fly in Africa? Windhoek seems an obvious destination in the future, as do more places in Northern Africa and the return of routes that began just before the pandemic happened.
