Turkish Airlines adds Xi’an, Gateway to the Silk Road

Offering its guests the opportunity to fly directly to 126 countries from Istanbul, Turkish Airlines added Xi’an, the Chinese city with three thousand years of history, to its flight network on December 30. Xi’an became the flag carrier’s fourth destination in Mainland China and the 318th destination in the world. The flights will be operated three times a week with the Airbus A330 aircraft.

Starting its flights to the People’s Republic of China back in 1999 with Beijing, Turkish Airlines reinforced its strong position in Asia with the inauguration of the Xi’an flight route. With this new addition, the global carrier’s flight network encompasses the entirety of the historical Silk Road that started in Xi’an and ended in Venice.

“We conclude the year by adding a very special city to our flight network,” said Turkish Airlines General Manager Bilal Ekşi. “We will carry our guests to 126 countries from Xi’an, one of the most significant historical capitals. Our new flights will also contribute to the tourist numbers coming to our country, with the increased attention from Chinese tourists to the tourism centers of Turkey.”

Turkish Airlines passengers traveling to Xi’an, one of the oldest civilizations of the world, will have the opportunity to explore numerous cultural heritages along with the historical fabric of the three-thousand-year-old city. Serving as the capital of 13 different dynasties during the history of China, the region’s most popular destination is the Terracotta Army, which draws over two million tourists annually. Hidden underground for nearly 2200 years, it was first discovered during excavations in 1974. Featuring eight thousand terracotta soldiers, it is considered the Eighth Wonder of the World.

Flights leave Istanbul at 1:55 am on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, arriving in Xi’an at 4:10 pm. Flights leave Xi’an at 12:35 am Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and arrive in Istanbul at 6:10 am.

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