Direct flights to resume between Türkiye and Armenia
Turkish Airlines will launch direct flights between Istanbul and Yerevan on March 11, 2026, Turkiye Today reported. This air service marks a fresh phase in the ongoing process of normalization between Türkiye and Armenia.
The decision to increase the number of flights was taken on September 12 following a meeting in Yerevan between Türkiye's Special Representatives for the Normalization Process, Serdar Kiliç, and his Armenian counterpart Ruben Rubinyan, Vice President of the National Assembly, CE Report quotes BTA.
In the spring and summer of 2026, the airline plans to increase the number of flights to Yerevan. According to information released by Turkish Airlines, daily round-trip flights are scheduled to start in the coming months, with a view to gradually increasing their frequency.
From May 14, 2026, Turkish Airlines will increase weekly flights from seven to 10. A further rise is scheduled for June 15, when the route will be served 14 times per week to accommodate summer travel demand.
Ankara and Yerevan do not maintain formal diplomatic relations, and their shared land border has remained closed since 1993 following the Karabakh War. In June, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's visit to Ankara marked a new stage in the thawing of relations. This was followed by meetings between Turkish and Armenian delegations, during which concrete steps were discussed for restoring dialogue and reopening the border crossing between the two countries.
As reported by CE Report, the normalization process involves a series of measures, including the restoration of transport links and trade routes.
Towards this goal, Türkiye and Armenia held a second round of meetings at the end of November. The sides discussed the technical preparations for the rehabilitation and reopening of the Kars-Gyumri railway, which connects the two countries.
