Turkish Airlines to start new route to Romania

ANKARA (AA) - Turkish Airlines, Turkey's flag carrier, next month will add a new destination in Romania to its direct service from Istanbul, the airline said in a statement on Friday.

Service to Cluj, a city in Romania’s northwest, will run four times a week from Tuesday, July 12.

The new destination brings the airline's total number of destinations in Romania to three, the statement said.

"With existing services to Bucharest and Constanta, Turkish Airlines adds flights to Cluj, one of the most important academic, cultural, and industrial cities in Romania, as its third destination," the statement said.

Introductory fares will start at $129 from Istanbul to Cluj and 129 euros, including taxes and fees, for travelers heading to Turkey.

"Additionally, for the first 6 months of operation to the new destinations, there is a special offer for Turkish Airlines frequent flyer program Miles&Smiles members, with a 25 percent reduction in the miles needed to redeem either award tickets or upgrades," the statement said.

The flag carrier flies to more countries than any other airline, with 323 aircraft flying to 289 destinations worldwide, 240 international and 49 domestic, the statement added.

Harvard Business School recently conducted a study of Turkish Airlines’ transformation from a regional actor to a global powerhouse in the international aviation industry and its fast and profitable growth in the sector.