Turkish Airlines completed its first scheduled flight between Istanbul (IST) and Zvartnots International Airport (EVN), Yerevan, Armenia, on March 11, 2026.
The new service to the Armenian capital is a politically significant development since it represents a further step toward the normalization of relations between Turkey and Armenia.
The two countries have had an adversarial relationship since the early 1990s, when Armenia became an independent country following the disintegration of the Soviet Union. During all this time Turkey has been a staunch ally of Azerbaijan, a country with which Armenia has had a decades-long conflict over territorial issues.
In the aftermath of Azerbaijan having retaken the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh territory, between 2020 and 2023, Turkey and Armenia have engaged in several rounds of discussions aimed at normalizing their bilateral relations and reopening their mutual land border, which has remained closed for more than three decades.
It is in this context that air links have sometimes played a role in spearheading advances in negotiations.
In 2022, for example, diplomatic apertures were followed by the launch of charter services between Yerevan and Istanbul, operated by Armenia-based carrier FlyOne. This move was followed almost simultaneously by Turkish private carrier Pegasus Airlines launching a nonstop scheduled service between the two cities.
Prior to the launch of Turkish Airlines’ new service, Pegasus Airlines was the only scheduled operator between the two countries, offering a daily service between Zvartnots International Airport and Sabiha Gökcen International Airport (SAW) in Istanbul.
Turkish Airlines, which used a Boeing 737-900 on its inaugural service to Yerevan, is offering a daily service to the Armenian capital from its hub at Istanbul Airport. The Turkish carrier has already announced its intention to increase the frequency on this route to 10 flights per week.