Turkish Airlines (THY) is developing its wide-body aircraft fleet. In doing so, it aims to increase flight frequencies in East Asia, Southeast Asia, and Oceania by 15-20 percent in the coming years. Prof. Dr. Murat Şeker, Chairman of the Board and Executive Committee of Turkish Airlines, spoke to Nikkei Asia. Şeker stated that they aim to make Istanbul a stronger transfer hub between Asia and Europe, Africa, and Latin America.

Turkish Airlines flies to 133 countries and 358 destinations. The Asia-Pacific region stands out for the company in terms of both growth and profitability. Prof. Dr. Şeker noted that East and Southeast Asia and Oceania are among the regions with the highest profitability.

China capacity growing faster than planned

Turkish Airlines accelerated its capacity increase in the Chinese market. Flights to Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou were increased earlier than planned. The weekly number of flights to China increased by 10 frequencies to 42. Existing traffic rights allow for growth up to 49 flights per week.

The company plans to start flights to Chengdu in November. Urumqi is also among the new destination options.

Turkish Airlines, which operates 25 flights per week in Japan, aims to increase this number. New traffic rights obtained in Singapore and Vietnam will contribute to growth in the region.

Second connection corridor via Istanbul

Prof. Dr. Şeker drew attention to the strong position of Gulf-based airlines between Asia, Australia, and Europe. He stated that Turkish Airlines aims to create an alternative connection corridor via Istanbul.

The weight of long-haul routes in growth will increase. Second and third daily flights will be added to some destinations. This will allow the Far East to be more intensively connected with Europe, as well as Africa and Latin America, via Istanbul.

In the second quarter, Turkish Airlines directed an additional 58 weekly passenger and 61 cargo frequencies to markets with strong demand. Markets such as Japan, China, Australia, Thailand, Singapore, and Vietnam stood out for wide-body passenger and cargo aircraft.

Asia surpasses Europe in revenue

Asia's share in Turkish Airlines' revenues is rapidly increasing. According to Nikkei Asia data, the region's share of total revenue increased by 5 percentage points in the second quarter. Asia, reaching 32 percent, surpassed Europe, which has a 27 percent share. The share of Asian routes in total passenger traffic also rose from 10 percent to 12 percent.

Turkish Airlines' second-quarter revenue reached 7.2 billion dollars, an annual increase of 20.5 percent. Passenger revenues rose by 15 percent, and cargo revenues by 58 percent. Total first-half revenue increased by 20.8 percent to 13.1 billion dollars.

Prof. Dr. Şeker reported that passenger traffic between Africa and Asia increased by 70 percent. Traffic between Eastern Europe and Asia rose by 40 percent.

Non-stop flights to Australia targeted for 2028

Australia holds an important place in Turkish Airlines' long-haul growth. The company plans to launch non-stop flights to Sydney and Melbourne starting from 2028. During the same period, the Premium Economy product is expected to contribute to financial performance.

Turkish Airlines is open to joint ventures in various markets, including Asia and South America. Collaborations are targeted in airline operations, maintenance-repair, and cargo sectors. Prof. Dr. Şeker stated that partnership shares between 30 and 50 percent could be evaluated. He expressed that such collaborations would create significant synergy for Turkish Airlines. Görsel: © Yapay zeka ile oluşturulmuş resim