ISTANBUL, Sept. 13 — Turkish Airlines has permanently removed 11 international destinations from its future flight schedule as the airline continues to adjust its network for the 2026/27 operating seasons.

According to the latest schedule data, five destinations previously suspended through October 2026 will no longer return: Juba in South Sudan, Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Libreville in Gabon, Luanda in Angola and Lusaka in Zambia.

The airline has also removed six destinations that had been expected to return later. These include Billund in Denmark, Ferghana in Uzbekistan, Kirkuk and Najaf in Iraq, Leipzig/Halle in Germany, and Turkistan in Kazakhstan.

The changes come as Turkish Airlines continues to refine its international network, with capacity increasingly focused on routes that can deliver stronger and more sustainable demand.

Aqaba and Havana Delayed

Not all suspended routes have been permanently abandoned. Turkish Airlines has postponed the planned resumption of Aqaba, Jordan, and Havana, Cuba, with both now scheduled to potentially return from March 28, 2027, instead of October 2026.

Five Iranian destinations — Esfahan, Mashhad, Shiraz, Tabriz and Tehran Imam Khomeini — are also tentatively scheduled for a March 2027 return.

What It Means for Turkish Airlines

The latest changes highlight a broader trend in global aviation: airlines are increasingly concentrating aircraft and crew capacity on routes with stronger commercial prospects.

For Turkish Airlines, which has built one of the world's largest international networks through its Istanbul hub, removing weaker or uncertain routes can help improve aircraft utilization and network efficiency. At the same time, the cuts could reduce direct connectivity for smaller cities that depend heavily on Istanbul as a global connecting hub.