Turkish Airlines, the country's national carrier, will start flights to two new destinations - Mosul (Iraq) and Dammam (Saudi Arabia) from its hub in Istanbul this month.

The Mosul flight will take off from Istanbul, Ataturk Airport on October 13, while the Dammam flight will begin on October 18, said a statement from Turkish Airlines.

The new flight connects Istanbul with the historical city of Mosul and joins Baghdad, Basra, Arbil, Najaf and Suleymaniah as a Turkish Airlines’ network city, it added.

The airline will fly four times a week from its hub in Istanbul to Mosul, its sixth destination in Iraq, departing on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays.

On Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sunday, the flight will take off from Istanbul at 3.45am and land in Mosul at 6.05am. On return, the flights will leave Mosul at 7:50am and arrive in Istanbul at 10.10am, the Turkish carrier said.

The Dammam flights will operate thrice a week on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

The flight will take off from Istanbul at 9:55pm and land in Dammam at 1.45am the next day. On return, the flight will leave Dammam on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays at 2:45am and arrive in Istanbul at 6.45am.

Dammam is Turkish Airlines’ fourth flight destination in Saudi after Jeddah, Riyadh and Medinah, the airline said in a statement.

One of Europe’s fastest growing carriers, Turkish Airlines said with the addition of Mosul and Dammam, the airline currently serves 189 destinations worldwide.-TradeArabia News Service