by admin | May 25, 2021 | Muslim World
Ankara: Turkish Airlines, Turkey’s flag carrier air company, hosted in Istanbul 28,000 passengers from 28 countries in its stopover project over the past two years, the company said Friday.
The national flag carrier added 16 countries, including Japan, China, and India, in its stopover service program, according to a statement from the company.
The free stopover accommodation service began in March 2017, the statement said.
“We aim to expand the scope of our project, which contributes to the development of our country’s tourism through new Istanbul Airport,” Ahmet Olmustur, Turkish Airlines’ chief marketing officer, said.
Turkish Airlines, founded in 1933 with a fleet of five aircraft, currently has more than 330 aircraft, including passenger and cargo planes.
It flies to 306 destinations in 124 countries. Last year, Turkish Airlines carried 75.2 million passengers with a seat occupancy rate of 82 percent.
—AA
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Business, Corporate, Corporate Buzz, Large Enterprise, World
By Safvan Allahverdi,
Washington: The State Department on Monday welcomed an agreement by Turkey’s national flag carrier to purchase $7 billion worth of aircraft from U.S. aerospace giant Boeing Co.
“So pleased to see this deal — creating jobs at home and expanding economic opportunities overseas! A great example of the U.S. and #Turkey collaborating on free, fair, and reciprocal #trade,” State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said in a post on her official Twitter account.
Boeing and Turkish Airlines have finalized an order for 25 787-9 Dreamliners with options for five more airplanes, Boeing announced Monday on its official website.
“We are proud to extend our decades-long partnership with Turkish Airlines and we welcome them to the growing group of elite airlines who have made the 787 Dreamliner the most preferred mid-sized twin-aisle airplane today,” Kevin McAllister, Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and Chief Executive Officer, said in a written statement.
“We are confident that Turkish Airlines will enjoy the Dreamliner’s unmatched fuel efficiency, range, and superior cabin features.”
Boeing’s newest and fastest-selling Dreamliner planes will render service to Turkish Airlines passengers at Istanbul’s third airport, which is planned to be the largest airport in the world with a capacity of 150 million passengers annually.
The inauguration of the airport is planned to take place on Oct. 29, 2018.
The sale agreement between Boeing and Turkish Airlines was signed during a visit by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to the U.S. for the 72nd Session of the UN General Assembly in September 2017.
—AA
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Corporate, Corporate Buzz, Muslim World
Frankfurt, Germany: Turkey’s national flag carrier Turkish Airlines (THY) carried 4.11 million passengers across Germany in 2017, according to an airline official.
“In 2017 almost 4.11 million passengers travelled by Turkish Airlines and its partner in Germany. Our occupancy rate in average in Germany was 79 percent,” up 5 percent from 2016, Muhammet Ensar Karabulut, Turkish Airlines manager in Frankfurt, told Anadolu Agency on Friday.
Karabulut added that Turkish Airlines’ Frankfurt operations carried almost 630,000 passengers, with an occupancy rate of 82 percent, up 6 percent from 2016.
Stating that Turkish Airlines’ capacity in Germany will be enhanced on March 25 when it adds a second wide-bodied aircraft (A330) to its fleet, he said: “With this capacity increase, we aim to raise our passenger figures at least 5 percent in 2018.”
Karabulut said that Turkish Airlines now has three direct flights a week from Turkey’s capital Ankara to Frankfurt.
“As you know Turkish Airlines started direct flights from Ankara to Frankfurt on Oct. 29, to Vienna and Berlin on Oct. 30, and to Paris on Oct. 31,” he said.
The Frankfurt to Ankara service — offered on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday — had an average 82 percent occupancy rate in 2017.
Turkish Airlines currently has more than 330 aircraft (passenger and cargo), flying to over 300 destinations in 120 countries.
The airline was named “Best Airline in Europe” by Skytrax for six years in a row from 2011 to 2016.
—AA
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Corporate, Corporate Buzz, World
Ilker Ayci, chairman of Turkish Airlines
Istanbul : Turkey’s national flag carrier Turkish Airlines (THY) is aiming to transport 69 million passengers in 2017, the airline’s head said on Friday.
“Our goal is to carry 69 million passengers this year,” Ilker Ayci, chairman of Turkish Airlines said. “The airline will reach 100 million passengers annually in a short period of time after inauguration of the third airport in Istanbul.”
In November, the Turkish Airlines noted that it carried over 57.8 million passengers in the first 10 months of the year.
In October, Transport, Maritime and Communications Minister Ahmet Arslanhad said that the third Istanbul airport will welcome the Turkish Airlines’ first aircraft before February in 2018.
Ayci said the Turkey’s national flag carrier is in the list of top six most preferred international airlines.
“Turkish economy and country’s plane figure and market share is not in the top six in the world however we are in the top six in international passengers’ most preferred and trusted airways list,” the chairman of the airline said.
THY chief Ayci stated that the year 2017 would be better in terms of finance.
“In the world there is foreign exchange rate volatility and it affects our region. We manage it somehow. Our operating profit hits a record level if the effects of currency volatility are excluded,” Ayci said.
Cost reduction
To a question about the airline’s financial output, Ayci said they are proud of the financial results and the firm reduced its costs by 9 and 6 percent in 2016 and 2017, respectively.
Separately, Ayci said that there was a laptop and electronic device ban in March and the airline rapidly responded to it.
In March, the U.S. banned all passengers from carrying large electronic devices including laptops on commercial flights to the country from 10 international airports in eight Muslim-majority countries — Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and Turkey.
The ban on US-bound Turkish Airlines’ flights ended in early July.
“At first we started to transport banned devices by packing them. We carried at least 80,000 devices in 103 days and delivered them to passengers without any damage. At the same time we gave ‘free Wi-Fi’ service and laptops to business class on board,” he said.
In the meantime, he said that the THY group — including its subsidiaries — has currently around 50,000 staff and it would recruit around 7,000 more employment in 2018.
“We announce this on social media. Those, who want to work for THY, can follow us on social media and apply for the job on internet. We will hire pilots, cabin crew, technician etc.,” Ayci remarked.
New destinations
“In the future, we will have new destinations such as Jordan’s port city of Akabe, Russian city Krasnodar and Sierra Leone’s largest city and capital Freetown.” Ayci said.
“There will be new destinations in Middle East, Africa, Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS); Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Armenia.”
The THY chairman said that new generation planes will be added to the fleet.
Informing about the Turkish Airlines’ next goal, Ayci stated that they fly to 51 destinations in Africa, but this figure is likely to go up to 55 as they are hoping to resume flights to Libya, South Yemen and Angola.
He said they regard THY Technic as an important player in making local-made aircraft engine.
The chairman added that Turkish Airlines will continue to sponsor Europe’s top-tier international club based basketball tournament, EuroLeague.
Turkish Airlines fly to over 300 destinations worldwide with its fleet of 329 passenger and cargo aircraft.
According to the 2017 Skytrax survey, Turkish Airlines, already having been named the Best Airline in Europe between 2011 and 2016, has now been chosen the Best Airline in Southern Europe for the ninth year in a row.
*Written by Can Erozden from Ankara
—AA