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Turkish Airlines to have ‘third largest fleet’ by 2033

By Pramod Kumar
Turkish Airlines is using the $12bn Istanbul Airport as its hub to build a mega network connecting Europe to Asia and Africa Creative Commons/Andrei Dimofte
Turkish Airlines is using the $12bn Istanbul Airport as its hub to build a mega network connecting Europe to Asia and Africa

State-owned Turkish Airlines is planning to increase its fleet size to 813 aircraft by 2033 as part of its expansion drive, a local media report said.

The additions over the next decade will make it an airline with the “third largest fleet”, Daily Sabah newspaper reported, citing CEO Bilal Ekşi’s speech at an event in Istanbul.

“We are currently flying to 129 countries worldwide, with 350 destinations, including Turkey. This undoubtedly transforms Istanbul and Turkey into a significant transfer hub,” he stated.

The national carrier is using the $12 billion Istanbul Airport as its hub to build a mega network connecting Europe to Asia and Africa.

The recent capacity increase at Istanbul Airport will allow for an additional 600 aircraft to be accommodated, which will position Turkey as a potential global transfer hub, the CEO added.

Turkish Airlines last month held talks with European airline manufacturer Airbus on a potential order of 355 new aircraft, state-run Anadolu news agency said.

During the meeting in Istanbul, executives from Turkish Airlines discussed buying 75 wide-body A350-900, 15 wide-body A350-1000 aircraft, 250 narrow-body A321neo aircraft and five A350F cargo aircraft, in addition to 10 A350-900s aircraft.

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