Ankara, July 8 (CNA) Turkish Airlines said Monday it will resume flights between Taoyuan and Istanbul from Aug. 5, following the temporary suspension of all its international flights due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The carrier said a Boeing 777 will fly to Taipei every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, though that could be replaced by the 787, depending on demand.

Turkish Airlines, the only carrier to operate direct flights between Taiwan and Turkey since 2015, suspended the service on March 18. It grounded all international flights on March 28 and began a partial service from June 11.

Visitors from Taiwan to Turkey jumped from fewer than 20,000 in 2015 to 70,000 in 2018 and 100,000 in 2019.

To boost passenger interest, the carrier is launching a campaign that offers a 40 percent discount on flights for health workers and their travel companions.