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Birmingham International Airport has received a major boost with the news that a major airline will commence services from the hub to Istanbul. The link up with national flag carrier Turkish Airlines will offer Midland travellers the first direct scheduled service to Istanbul from the region.
The five weekly flights, which will begin on December 15, will provide onward flight opportunities within Turkey, the Middle East and the Far East, through Turkish Airlines own established route network. British low fares airline Monarch also launched a new twice-weekly service to Larnaca in Cyprus and increased flights to the Canary Islands of Lanzarote and Tenerife.
Travellers will soon be able to fly direct from Birmingham international airport to Istanbul as Turkish Airlines is set to commence services from December 15th 2008.
The airline will operate five flights per week to Istanbul, offering Midlands holidaymakers the first direct scheduled service to Turkey from the region.
Director Osman Battal noted that passengers will be able to fly to over 140 onward destinations from Istanbul, including Bangkok, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Delhi, Bombay and Singapore.
Although we will be launching in December with five weekly flights, we aspire to be operating daily services from Birmingham by summer 2009 and carrying 30,000 of passengers a year by this time, he said.
The airline will operate a 155-seat mixed configuration Boeing 737-800 aircraft on the new route. Flights on Mondays and Thursdays will arrive in Birmingham at 10:30 and depart for Istanbul at 11:30 GMT.
The remaining three weekly flights on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays will arrive in Birmingham at 12:15 and depart at 13:15 GMT.
Last week the airport announced low-cost carrier Ryanair will launch a new daily route from Birmingham to Dusseldorf from its Birmingham airport base on October 27th 2008.Travel Bite
Golf in Altinkum Didim Turkey
Plans for a £22.8 million ($40 million) golf resort in the Turkish holiday resort of Altinkum have been given the go-ahead by local planning officials and the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Atlas, a Turkish steel and shipping company, is developing the 18-hole golf course and residential village on a 170 acre site close to the Aegean resort, which is a popular destination for package tourists and property buyers from Britain.
According to local press reports, Atlas have secured a 49-year lease to operate a golf and holiday resort in Altinkum. This will be a major boost for the resort, particularly with the opening of the new 450-berth Didim marina next year.
It will certainly broaden the area’s appeal and have a positive affect on the property market, says Dominic Whiting, editor of the Buying in Turkey guide. The development of golf and yacht tourism is a key part of the Turkish government’s plan to expand and diversify the country’s tourist industry. Turkey was one of the top destinations for British tourists this year and the country is expecting over 24 million international visitors for 2008, up over 15% on last year.
The Aegean resort of Altinkum has attracted over 8,000 British property buyers thanks to the area’s low property prices with new apartments still available for under £30,000. However, the new marina and golf course are expected to encourage demand for higher-end property, while also extending the tourist season into the winter months, which provide ideal golfing conditions. Property Wire reported on 20th Oct 08
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