Istanbul's Sabiha Gökçen airport launches first long-distance flight

Istanbul's Sabiha Gökçen Airport, located on the city's Asian side, welcomed its first long-haul flight on Saturday.

The Malaysia Airlines flight landed at the airport at noon. The Airbus A330 aircraft was welcomed with a water salute to mark the occasion.
The flight crew was greeted with bouquets and the passengers received some Turkish delight. It was followed by a cocktail where a custom made cake was cut.

The number of Turkey-Malaysia flights has increased in recent years. The weekly flights from Sabiha Gökçen Airport will be on Saturdays until Jan. 11, 2020.

With the Malaysia Airlines flight, the airport's number of international destinations reached 128. Some 49 foreign airlines currently operate flights to Istanbul's second airport.