British Airways launched direct flights between Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport and London Heathrow Airport.
The first flight of British Airways that took off from London, landed to Izmir Adnan Menderes on Saturday, May 7th, at 13:45. The flight crew and 166 passengers of the flight were welcomed with flowers.
Operated by TAV Airports, Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport hosted a cocktail reception for the launch of the new international route. Speaking about the launch, TAV Ege General Manager Erkan Balcı said, “Adnan Menderes Airport is the gate of Izmir, one of the major cities of Turkey in tourism and commerce, which is opening to the world. We have been carrying out various marketing activities to increase particularly direct international flights at home and abroad. In this manner, we are glad to have British Airways back to our flight network after five years that commences flights between Izmir and London.”
British Airways is going to facilitate reciprocal direct flights from London Heathrow Airport on Saturdays between May 7th and October 29th, 2016.
Adnan Menderes Airport hosts 50 airline companies launching domestic and international flights to a total of 92 destinations in 28 countries. The airport hosted approximately 80,000 flights in 2015 while providing services to 12.1 million passengers.
Izmir is the third largest city in Turkey with a population of around 3.7 million, the second biggest port after Istanbul, and a very good transport hub. Once the ancient city of Smyrna, İzmir is now a modern, developed, and busy commercial center, set around a huge bay and surrounded by mountains. The broad boulevards, glass-fronted buildings and modern shopping centers are dotted with traditional red-tiled roofs, the 18th century market, and old mosques and churches, although the city has an atmosphere more of Mediterranean Europe than traditional Turkey.
