Turkish Airlines (THY) completed the longest nonstop flight in its history on Tuesday, flying Italian football giants Juventus directly from Australia's Perth to Turin in a 16-hour, 27-minute charter operation.
The airline's Boeing 777-300ER covered approximately 13,800 kilometers (8,575 miles) on the direct flight, according to flight tracking platform Flightradar24.
The special charter was arranged after Juventus concluded its pre-season tour of Australia, including the "Derby d'Italia" exhibition match against Inter Milan.
Before transporting the team, the aircraft operated a positioning flight from Istanbul to Perth under flight number TK3700, a journey lasting approximately 14 hours and 30 minutes.
Executives recently said THY plans to expand its nonstop long-haul network by deploying ultra-long-range aircraft from late 2027, enabling direct flights to destinations in Australia and South America.
The carrier says it serves more countries than any other airline through its scheduled network.
Under its 2033 strategy, Turkish Airlines plans a major fleet replacement and expansion to around 800 aircraft. It has orders in place for nearly 420 aircraft, including Airbus and Boeing jets, with negotiations continuing for an additional 100 Boeing planes.
