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- October 13, 202618°
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- October 13, 202618°
Turkish Airlines targets a 15-20% increase in Asia-Pacific flights
Turkish Airlines Chairman of the Board and Executive Committee Prof. Murat Şeker said the airline aims to increase flight frequencies in the Asia-Pacific region by 15-20% in the coming years.
Turkish Airlines (THY) plans to increase its capacity in the Asia-Pacific market, particularly in China, and establish a new connecting corridor between Asia and Europe via Istanbul. Turkish Airlines Chairman of the Board and Executive Committee Prof. Dr. Murat Şeker said the company aims to increase flight frequencies in the region by 15-20% in the coming years.
China flights increased ahead of schedule
East Asia, Southeast Asia and Oceania are among the most profitable regions in Turkish Airlines' network, which reaches 133 countries and 358 destinations. Şeker said capacity increases in the Asia-Pacific would continue alongside the growth of the airline's wide-body fleet.
Şeker said the capacity increase in the Chinese market had been brought forward, noting that flights to Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou were increased earlier than planned. The number of weekly flights to China rose to 42 this year with an increase of 10 frequencies, while the existing traffic rights allow for growth to as many as 49 weekly flights.
Turkish Airlines plans to launch flights to Chengdu in November. Urumqi is also among the destinations included in the company's new flight plans.
New connecting corridor via Istanbul targeted
Şeker said they aim to establish a second connecting corridor via Istanbul to compete with Gulf-based airlines' strong position between Asia and Australia and Europe. Long-haul routes are expected to gain greater weight in the company's growth strategy in the coming period.
As part of this strategy, the airline aims to establish additional connections between Europe, Africa and Latin America and the Far East, while adding second and third daily services to some cities. Following developments in the Middle East, narrow-body aircraft have been redirected to some routes in Central Asia, Africa and Europe, while wide-body passenger and cargo aircraft have been focused on the markets of Japan, China, Australia, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam.
A total of 58 additional weekly passenger frequencies and 61 cargo frequencies were added on routes with strong demand. The company said the capacity shift contributed to its second-quarter performance.
Asia's share of revenue surpassed Europe's
Turkish Airlines' second-quarter revenue rose 20.5% year on year to $7.2 billion. During the same period, passenger revenue increased 15% and cargo revenue rose 58%, while the company's total revenue for the first half of the year reached $13.1 billion, up 20.8%.
Higher jet fuel prices generated an additional cost of approximately $1.3 billion in the first half of the year. Including the other effects of the conflicts, total costs reached approximately $2.1 billion. Turkish Airlines acquired approximately 5% of its new customers in the second quarter and increased its market share by about 1 percentage point.
The share of Asian routes in Turkish Airlines' total revenue rose by 5 percentage points to 32% in the second quarter, surpassing Europe, which accounted for 27%. The share of Asian routes in total passenger traffic also increased from 10% to 12%.
Passenger traffic between Africa and Asia increased 70%, while traffic between Eastern Europe and Asia rose 40%. The use of Russian airspace provides shorter flight times on some east-west routes.
Plans for Japan and Australia
Turkish Airlines aims to increase its 25 weekly flights to Japan. Newly acquired traffic rights in Singapore and Vietnam are also expected to support growth in the region.
Japanese investors provide approximately 20% of Turkish Airlines' aircraft leasing financing needs. Japanese investors have played a role in financing more than 100 aircraft worth approximately $9 billion over the past 20 years.
As part of its long-haul growth plans, Turkish Airlines plans to launch nonstop flights to Sydney and Melbourne from 2028. During the same period, the Premium Economy segment on long-haul routes is expected to make a significant contribution to the company's financial performance.
Partnership opportunities to be explored
Şeker said Turkish Airlines is open to joint venture opportunities in airline operations, aircraft maintenance and repair, and cargo across various markets, including Asia and South America. The company is considering partnership stakes ranging from 30% to 50% in these ventures.
Turkish Airlines is described as the world's third-largest provider of aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul services, and new partnerships could create synergy opportunities for the company.
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