There are few airlines in the world that can compete with Turkish Airlines in terms of route network extension. The Turkish national carrier, despite already operating a massive network spanning across all continents, it has further grown it in 2024. The carrier has landed for the first time in Australia earlier this year and now it has touched down for the first time in a new country in South America. Let's talk about Turkish Airlines' newest flight TK215 Istanbul to Santiago, Chile.
Turkish Airlines Lands in Its 10th American Country With Flight TK215
It never ceases to amaze me how Turkish Airline can operate such a vast and well connected network via its hub at Istanbul International Airport. The airline has been further expanding its reach into new markets with the massively important milestone of commencing flights to the Australian continent. Now, the airline has just landed in a new destination marking its 131st country served and connected via its network.
Santiago, Chile, is the latest destination to receive Turkish Airlines flights. TK215 is the latest addition to the network, a service which will connect the airline's base in Istanbul International Airport (IST) to Santiago, the capital of Chile (SCL).
The flight would be on the highest end of the ULR spectrum if operated non-stop from Istanbul, making it also quite impractical from an operational (passenger loads) and fuel consumption standpoint. Therefore this, as you might have guessed, is not a non-stop service. Turkish Airlines Istanbul to Santiago flight operates the route making a stopover in Sao Paolo, Brazil, exactly as the airline's flight to Buenos Aires does.
TK215 operates on a 4x weekly schedule departing Istanbul every:
- Monday
- Wednesday
- Thursday
- Saturday
Making its way to Sao Paolo as a second additional flight to the city, to then fly onwards to Santiago on the Pacific coast of South America with the following schedule:
| Flight Number | Departure Airport | Airport Code | Departure Time | Arrival Airport | Airport Code | Arrival Time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | TK215 | Istanbul | IST | 20:35 | Sao Paolo | GRU | 04:15+1 |
| TK215 | Sao Paolo | GRU | 05:50 | Santiago | SCL | 09:45 |
| TK216 | Santiago | SCL | 11:40 | Sao Paolo | GRU | 15:15 |
| TK216 | Sao Paolo | GRU | 16:50 | Istanbul | IST | 11:20+1 |
Turkish Alternating Its Airbus A350 and Boeing 777 On The New Route
The flight first covered the Istanbul to Santiago route on December 18th 2024. On the day the airline operated the flight using one of its Boeing 777s. However, from there to December 28th 2024 the airline has only operated the flight with its Airbus A350 aircraft fleet. They are two very different aircraft in terms of cabin configuration, particularly in Business class.
The Turkish Airlines Boeing 777s feature a 2-2-2 business class layout while the A350s a much more modern 1-2-1. Therefore it is by far preferable to fly on the A350s rather than the 777s. You'll just need a good dose of luck on your travel day to find the aircraft you are hoping to travel on at the gate.
