A new flight path will become available in time for summer at Manchester Airport, easyJet has announced.

The airline will begin to fly passengers to Istanbul, Turkey from the airport for the first time this summer.

Istanbul becomes the 156th destination on easyJet’s short-haul network which spans Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.

New flights to Istanbul added to easyJet's schedule at Manchester Airport

The first time easyJet departs from Manchester Airport will be on June 9 and flights will operate twice a week on Mondays and Fridays, giving passengers a direct connection from the north west to the Turkish city.

Customers can also travel from Manchester to Antalya, Dalaman, Bodrum and Izmir with easyJet.

Passengers can expect a rich history and a variety of experiences when visiting Istanbul including the old city and world-famous landmarks like the Blue Mosque with keen shoppers able to explore Grand Bazaar.

Seats can be bought now via the easyJet website and app.

With the launch of the new flights comes the sale of new package holidays with easyJet holidays.

Holidaymakers can make the most of city break packages starting at just £437 per person, including hotel, flights and 23kg luggage.

The holiday provider has 13 hotels to choose from, including the 5 star CVK Park Bosphorus Hotel Istanbul in the New City, the 5 star Eresin hotels Topkapi in the Old City, and the 5 star Wanda Vista Istanbul in Marmara.

Ali Gayward, easyJet’s UK Country Manager, said: “We are delighted to be adding the brand new destination of Istanbul to easyJet’s network. The new route from our Manchester base to this iconic city further expands the choice we can offer our customers from the North-West for both flights and package holidays, and promises to offer travellers a vibrant and culturally rich destination to explore, as well as providing greater connectivity to the city to support inbound tourism and business travel alike. 

“While this region has thankfully not been affected by the recent tragic earthquakes, we continue to collect donations onboard our flights for UNICEF’s emergency appeal.

"We would like to thank all of our customers who have already donated for their kindness and generosity in raising over £400,000, which will help UNICEF and their volunteers to continue providing a vital lifeline in the region for the children and families who have been affected by the earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria.”

Chris Woodroofe, Managing Director at Manchester Airport, added: “This new service is great news for travellers. easyJet has already announced that it will be basing an additional aircraft here at Manchester this summer, and the expansion of its route network demonstrates the strength of demand for leisure travel in our region, in spite of cost-of-living pressures.”

Arzu Kahraman Yilmaz, Counsellor of The Turkish Culture and Information Office, said: "Istanbul has long been a popular destination with British visitors, and we very much welcome easyJet’s new route from Manchester. We are confident it will prove popular with those seeking to immerse themselves in culture in this vibrant city.”

Currently, donations to UNICEF’s emergency appeal can be made in any currency onboard easyJet flights and will go directly towards supporting UNICEF’s round-the-clock emergency response in the region.