Tag Archives: Turkish Airlines

The latest destination aboard Turkish Airlines is the direct flight to Aqaba in Jordan, with existing services to Amman. The Aqaba flights will be operated thrice a week. Round trip fares are available from Istanbul to Aqaba starting at 404 USD including taxes and fees. Additionally, there is a special offer for Miles&Smiles members to be used for their trips departing from Turkey which should be completed by June 11, 2018, and the trips departing from Aqaba are to be completed by June 12, 2018, with a 25 per cent reduction in the miles needed to redeem either award tickets or upgrades. Aqaba flight times as scheduled from March 19 on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays depart Istanbul at 22:00 hours with arrival to Aqaba by 23:50 hours. The flight will depart Aqaba on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 00:45 hours and arrive to Istanbul at 04:20 hours.

Turkish Airlines has announced that, in order to insure the need for wide body aircraft, the Incorporation has decided to purchase 50 firm and 10 optional aircraft, a total of 60 wide body aircraft, of which six are to be delivered in 2019, 14 in 2020, 10 in 2021, 12 in 2022, 11 in 2023 and seven in 2024. According to this, a total of 30 B787-9 aircraft, of which 25 firm and five optional, will be purchased from Boeing and a total of 30 A350-900 aircraft, of which 25 firm and five optional will be purchased from Airbus. Commenting on the closed orders, M İlker Aycı, Chairman of the Board and the Executive Committee, Turkish Airlines said, “Today, we’re pleased to conclude this process which will bring a landmark benefit not only to Turkish Airlines, but also to Turkey’s aviation, by firmly ordering these aircrafts to be added to our ever-expanding fleet. This great step, which will further strengthen our ever-expanding fleet for 2023, our Republic’s 100th year, and bring our passenger’s satisfaction to a much higher level will bring a great acceleration to the steady rise of Turkish Airlines.”

In its efforts towards international expansion, Turkish Airlines has introduced flights to Freetown, capital of Sierra Leone. With existing services to city hubs of Accra, Lagos, Bamako, Conakry, Dakar, Abidjan, Cape Town, Johannesburg and a lot more, the airline now adds Freetown as its 52nd destination in Africa. The flights will operate twice a week on Tuesdays and Saturdays. The services will provide a link between Istanbul Atatürk International Airport and the Lungi International Airport via Ouagadougou.

Turkish Airlines has performed well beyond expectations in 2017. The number of passengers in 2017 compared to previous year was increased by 9.3 per cent and the flag carrier carried 68.6 millions passengers. Compared to the previous year, the load factor reached 79.1 per cent by increasing 4.7 points. The carrier has reached the highest December load factor rate with 79.5 per cent in December 2017. M. İlker Aycı, Chairman of the Board and Executive Committee, Turkish Airlines, had given the first signal of the carrier’s proven success at the end of 2017 in January 2017. He said, “We believe that 2017 will be much better year than 2016. We made our plans and savings accordingly. We are analysing the conditions of our home country, our region, our industry, the developments and trends in aviation and tourism sector. I believe Turkish Airlines will complete the year with increased power, brand value and market share once again’’. In December, cargo/mail volume increased by 18.4 per cent, compared to December 2016. In December, Load Factor increased for all regions. Middle East, North America and Africa showed visible growth among other regions with 7,1 points, 6.8 points and 5.6 points increase, respectively. During January-December, increase in demand and total number of passengers were 7.9 per cent and 9.3 per cent, respectively, over the same period of last year.

Turkish Airlines and Airbus signed an MOU to acquire 20+5 optional A350-900 aircraft. The agreement was signed at the Élysée Palace, Paris, during Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s official visit to France with French President Emmanuel Macron. “With Turkish Airlines serving more destinations than any other airline around the world, we will be delighted to rely on our new A350 XWB to further develop our major international routes from Turkey.” said M. İlker Aycı, Chairman of the Board and the Executive Committee, Turkish Airlines. Aycı went on to say, “This agreement is set to play a key role in our growing business in the years to come as the increased business volume for the local Turkish supplier industry by Airbus will be a great gain for the sector.” The A350 XWB is an all new family of mid-size wide-body long-haul airliners shaping the future of air travel. It features the latest aerodynamic design, carbon fiber fuselage and wings, plus new fuel-efficient engines. These latest technologies translate into unrivalled levels of operational efficiency, with a 25 per cent reduction in fuel emissions, and significantly lower maintenance costs.

As the new year dawned, Turkish Airlines has introduced a brand new line-up of inflight toys for the young travellers onboard. As from January 2018, the airline will completely revamp its selection of inflight toys now made from natural materials. The stuffed toys are created from cotton and the wooden parts are manufactured according to the sustainability rules set by the Forest Stewardship Council. This is in line with the airline’s recognition of the harmful effects of plastic on both children and the environment. The airline is committed to ensuring that every aspect of its operation is consistent with its goal of sustainable development. The new toys provide children aged between 3 and 12 with additional inflight entertainment while simultaneously introducing them to the concept of endangered species. Through play, Turkish Airlines, in conjunction with the World Wildlife Fund of Turkey, hopes to instill an appreciation of animal protection among children—those who will inherit the world and will be responsible for its care. The global carrier has worked with the toy industry to develop items that promote sustainability while simultaneously increasing wildlife awareness for its youngest guests.

Royal Jordanian (RJ) expanded its codeshare agreements with Turkish Airlines and Malaysia Airlines, giving its guests the option to travel to more destinations with competitive fares and more convenience. The expansion of the codeshare agreement with Turkish Airlines, which has been in place since 2015, added three new cities to RJ passengers’ list of potential destinations- Milan, Sofia and Sarajevo, which are sold in connection with RJ’s Amman-Istanbul flights. The codeshare expansion agreement with Malaysia Airlines, signed in 2010, gives RJ passengers access to four new destinations- Langkawi, Penang, Sydney and Melbourne, all sold in connection with RJ’s Kuala Lumpur flight. RJ has 15 codeshare agreements with global airlines, including with one world carriers and with international airlines. Stefan Pichler, President/CEO, Royal Jordanian said, “Codeshare agreements with global airlines are in line with RJ’s turnaround plan and endeavour to offer an improved passenger experience and enhance competitiveness at regional and global levels.” “Having flexible connections will no doubt increase traffic on RJ’s network,” he said, assuring that RJ will continue to partner with other airlines, through various commercial activities.

Turkish Airlines offers an exclusive private transfer service for Business Class passengers who purchase flexible return tickets between select markets. Passengers flying from Abu Dhabi, Beirut, Dhaka, Doha, Dubai, Cairo, Karachi, Kuwait City, Lahore, Islamabad, Mumbai, Tehran, Tel Aviv to USA and Canada or the return itinerary can benefit from the exclusive drive service. “Turkish Airlines always strives to enhance the overall experience of our passengers and continuously looks to improve upon its already impressive products and services. The exclusive programme will be a great addition to the services available to our valued Business Class passengers, who have helped us earn the top spot in the categories of “World’s Best Business Class Lounge”, “Best Business Class Onboard Catering” and “Best Business Class Dining Lounge” within the Skytrax World Airline Awards 2017,” said Ahmet Olmuştur, Chief Marketing Officer, Turkish Airlines.

With the launch of the fifth ACE of MICE exhibition by Turkish Airlines in Turkey, the third largest congress, meeting and events exhibition in the world from February 21-23, 2018, Istanbul will once again become the focus of the international MICE industry. The event will be held at Istanbul Congress Center with the motto of previous year ‘MICE industry convenes with all of its colours!’ Held every year by the Tourism Media Group organisation, the exhibition will see 746 hosted buyers from 39 countries flock to the city. Over 9,791 business to business (B2B) meetings have been arranged, along with 220 national and international exhibitors, 19 sessions, 35 speakers, 160 sponsors at the event. Over 15,000 domestic and foreign visitors are expected to witness the event. According to the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), Turkey is among the top ten of the world’s meeting destinations. The country ranks 18th globally as a growing destination for MICE tourism. Turkey is exceptionally well positioned as a destination for the MICE industry, both in terms of trade and culture.

Turkish Airlines introduced a new programme ‘Istanbul Bosphorus Experience’, especially designed for its Business Class passengers who have a transfer time of seven or more hours in Istanbul. The aim was to enable its transfer passengers to closely experience the beauty of Istanbul and the Bosphorus, before continuing their trip to their target destination. “We always strive to offer our passengers the best flight experience possible – on board and on the ground. With the addition of the Istanbul Bosphorus Experience, we continue to improve our wide range of activities and services including our worldwide known ‘Turkish Airlines Lounge Istanbul’, which earned the top spot in the category ‘World’s Best Business Class Lounge’ within the Skytrax World Airline Awards 2017, or our innovative Miniport service, etc. Passengers can now discover and enjoy the cultural facets of Istanbul at first hand. Besides further diversifying our unmatched offerings to passengers with this service, we can also indirectly contribute to the Turkish tourism economy,” said Ahmet Olmuştur, Chief Marketing Officer, Turkish Airlines.