‘Europe’s best airline’ is launching its first ever flights from London airport today

The route opens new connections for UK travellers in Western Asia (Picture: Shutterstock / Atakan Divitlioglu)

One of the world’s largest airlines is about to take off from London Stansted for the first time in history.

Turkish Airlines is due to launch at the Essex airport today, March 18. It will will offer flights to Istanbul 14 times a week.

Often touted as one of Europe’s best airlines, Turkish Airlines is up there with the best in the business for food, service and value.

Its business class seats have been named the world’s best value by prestigious travel magazine, AFAR.

Turkey’s national flag carrier already flies out of Heathrow and Gatwick, but its entry to Stansted will be welcome news for travellers living in east London and Hertfordshire.

Istanbul is a major transit hub for international travel. After arriving from London, passengers can then fly on to 353 destinations across Asia, Africa, Australia and beyond.

Turkish Airlines is Turkey’s national flag carrier (Picture: Shutterstock / Savvapanf Photo)

With the addition of London Stansted, Turkish Airlines will serve six UK airports and operate 170 weekly flights from the UK and Ireland during the peak summer season in 2026.

With ancient cities and spectacular coastlines, Turkey is a popular holiday destinations for British and European travellers.

In 2025, it welcomed 63.4 million visitors, with Russia, Germany and the UK the top markets for inbound travel.

Why visit Istanbul?

Home to almost 16 million people, Istanbul is a megawatt metropolis that sprawls some 2,000 square miles along the banks of the Bosphorus. It is Europe’s largest city.

Nicknamed Turkey’s ‘Gate to the East’, this magical meeting place straddling two continents is a feast for the eyes, with bejewelled mosques, treasure trove bazaars and glorious street food at every turn.

Top attractions include the Sultanahmet area, which includes the Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace, and the vibrant Beyoğlu district, linked by a must-do Bosphorus ferry ride.

Istanbul: ancient, decadent, and at times, overwhelming (Picture: Getty Images)

Istanbul has two major tourist activities that take a full day out of your holiday: a boat cruise down the Bosphorus (well worth doing), and a visit to one or more of the nine Adalar Islands (only four are inhabited).

Check out our guide to Büyükada, the largest island with an area of about two square miles.

It’s car-free and offers welcome respite from the at times overwhelming pace of the city.

New UK routes for 2026

This year will see the UK connected to a slate of exciting new destinations, from little-known Greek islands to fairytale capitals and one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities.

Here’s the best of what’s coming in 2026.

Yerevan

Wizz Air is launching six new routes from London Luton Airport in 2026, including a UK first to the ancient city of Yerevan.

From the first week of June, a new flight will connect London to the capital of Armenia.

It will be the first and only direct route from the UK, and this writer – Metro’s Travel Editor Alice Murphy – will be on the inaugural jaunt. Stay tuned.

Seoul

From March 29, Virgin Atlantic will fly daily from London Heathrow to Seoul, the capital of South Korea.

Sunrise over downtown Seoul (Picture: Getty Images)

It’s a new addition for Richard Branson’s airline, and an example of improved connections between the UK and east Asia.

Ljubjlana

EasyJet has announced several new routes from the UK, with a focus on expanding outside London. 

One of those is a new direct flight from Edinburgh to Ljubjlana, the fairytale capital of Slovenia.

It takes off in April and prices start from £41 one-way.

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