Direct links to Turkey have been boosted this summer making Stansted the leading airport in the South East of England for destinations served. Direct flight services from Stansted include:
• Istanbul Ataturk - AtlasJet flights
• Istanbul Sabiha Goken - twice daily Pegasus Airlines
• Antalya – AtlasJet, Thomas Cook and Thomson Airways, Onur Air
• Bodrum – easyJet, Pegasus Airlines, Thomas Cook
• Dalaman – Thomas Cook, easyJet, Thomson Airways
• Izmir – Pegasus Airlines
Speaking about the development of Turkish connections from the Stansted, Head of Airline Relations Mark Souter said:
"Turkey has emerged as a leading market for short-haul leisure travel with 2.6 million Brits visiting the country in 20111 and as an important partner for British business with trade worth over $9billion a year 2.
"Whilst these direct connections are important for business and leisure travel, we should also remember that some of these passenger flights carry import and export goods between the two countries, contributing to the $9billion annual trade, with regular shipments to and from Stansted including pharmaceuticals, spices and textiles."
Tolga Tuyluoglu, Director, Turkish Culture and Tourism Office UK said:
"Turkey today is one of the leading short-haul destinations for travel from the UK, increasingly serving niche markets like adventure travel and city-breaks such as Istanbul - a huge and growing hub to connections around the world - in addition to the ever-popular sun-sea-sand holiday.
"According to our research with Mintel, half of the British visitors in Turkey are repeat. And, with its burgeoning economy, Turkey is also a great draw for British business travellers. We are delighted that Stansted Airport plays such an important role in connecting the two countries and developing the market with flights to such a large number of destinations in Turkey."