Turkish Airlines has resumed Istanbul-to-Mombasa flights after more than a five-year hiatus in operations between the Turkish commercial hub and Kenya's coastal city.
At 4:20 a.m. local time (1:20 a.m. GMT) on Monday, October 27, 2025, Turkish Airlines flight TK-573, a Boeing 737 Max 8, touched down at Moi International Airport in Mombasa, marking the successful resumption of direct flights between Istanbul and Mombasa.
The airline had suspended direct flights to Mombasa in March 2020, shortly after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Monday, the airline's first post-pandemic flight to the coastal city received a water salute, while a red carpet was rolled out for arriving travellers.
Boosting trade
The flight was fully booked and carried a mix of Kenyan citizens, Turkish nationals, and other international tourists.
Turkish Ambassador to Kenya, Subutay Yuksel, said the resumption of direct flights between the two vibrant cities would strengthen diplomatic, cultural, and economic ties between Türkiye and Kenya.
"This milestone will open new avenues for enhancing our bilateral relations, particularly in tourism and trade," the envoy said.
Ambassador Yuksel added that Istanbul, being a global hub, "will serve as a gateway that connects travellers from around the world to Mombasa."
Positive step
The Chairperson of the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA), Caleb Kositany, hailed the resumption of direct flights between Istanbul and Mombasa, saying: "The Turkish Airlines return to the Mombasa route marks a positive step forward for our aviation sector."
Kositany added that the regular flights "will boost tourism, increase passenger traffic at Moi International Airport, create employment opportunities, and stimulate business for Kenyans."
Reiterating the KAA chief's remarks, Tony Gathogo, a senior airline official in Kenya, said the return of Turkish Airlines to the Mombasa route marks a significant step in enhancing the coastal city's position as a leading tourist destination in East Africa.
Mohamed Osman Ali, the Minister in charge of Transport in the County Government of Mombasa, said that in 2024, Kenya received approximately 2.5 million tourists, and only 8% of them arrived in Mombasa via direct flights.
Three weekly flights
According to Ali, the resumption of Turkish Airlines flights to the city will therefore increase the number of foreign travellers accessing Mombasa directly.
For his part, Abel Gogo, the manager in charge of Kenyan airports in the coastal region, said he was looking forward to "seeing Turkish Airlines increase its flight frequencies to Mombasa in the near future."
Turkish Airlines will operate three weekly flights between Istanbul and Mombasa on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.
Each flight will also carry up to eight tonnes of cargo, providing opportunities for businesspeople such as seafood traders and exporters of flowers and fresh produce to access international markets more easily and efficiently.
Turkish Airlines connects Africa
The renewed Istanbul–Mombasa link is part of efforts by Ankara and Nairobi to expand trade and tourism ties, with an ambitious bilateral trade target of $1 billion.
Kenya serves as the gateway to East and Central Africa, while Türkiye offers a lucrative market for Kenyan products and a bridge to Europe and Asia.
Moi International Airport, Kenya's second-largest airport, located six kilometres from Mombasa's central business district, was named Africa's Best Airport (under two million passengers per year) in 2023 by Airports Council International (ACI World) for its outstanding passenger service quality.
Turkish Airlines, which flies to 64 destinations across 42 African countries, operates the world's largest international route network. Its hub, Istanbul Airport, was recently named the World's Best Airport by Travel + Leisure magazine for the second consecutive year.
