Turkish Airlines makes a mark in airline business

Aviation companies in Cameroon and Africa may consider learning from Turkish Airlines to win in business.

Turkish Airlines has set out to conquer the African continent among other destinations with state-of-the-art services. Evolution of the airliner over the years and projections for near future speak of an outfit ready for conquest.

Telling Statistics Speaking to some ten journalists from three African countries in a press trip to the company’s head office in Istanbul, Turkish Airlines’ Vice President Marketing and Sales (Africa), R. Alper Ozen, said the company has moved from 19.6 million passengers in 1994 to 123 million in 2014.

Target, he added, is to have 381 million air passenger numbers by 2034. The company’s passenger flow development shows that Asia and Pacific takes the lion’s share with 28 per cent, 26 per cent each for Europe and North America, 8 percent each for Latin America and Middle East and 4 percent for Africa.

But while some of the destinations are projected to decrease by 2033, Africa may be stable. Officials of the company attribute the projected stability in Africa to relative political and economic stability of the continent vis-à-vis others elsewhere.

Encouraging Fleet Turkish Airlines today counts over 293 planes and targets over 450 in 2023. Just from observation, the number of stationed Turkish Airlines’ planes at its base in Istanbul and the frequency with which they take off and land is telling of an airliner that is blossoming in business.

Hardly can three to five minutes elapse without a Turkish Airlines plane taxing off or into the airport to or from the several destinations that the planes serve.

This explains why the company is today ranked the fourth largest network in the world with 268 destinations, has the highest international destinations, more than any other in the world (223), and goes to over 110 countries, more than any other airliner.

Economic Impact Unlike some airline companies in some countries that are almost liabilities to the respective governments, Turkish Airlines is a veritable asset that drives the economy of Turkey as a whole and that of Istanbul in particular.

The air carrier has thus far created over 58 million jobs across the globe with target to reach 105 million jobs 20 years from now.

In Turkey alone, the outfit contributes 5.9 percent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product and hopes to reach 7 per cent in 20 years given its short, medium and long-term development vision.

Auxiliary Services Purchasing and flying a plane is as important as taking care of its health and the wellbeing of those who board it. Here Turkish Airlines has an upper hand.

The company has a Flight Training Centre in Istanbul which offers training of international standards for crews from within and without the company.

The outfit has also gone into win-win partnership with companies like DO & CO, a reputed international catering outfit that provides catering services for all Turkish Airlines across the globe.

Officials of the company say it provides over 180,000 different meals for the airliner’s all classes daily. Its cooking centre in Istanbul is a vast industry with people working round the clock to provide good catering for all manner of Turkish Airlines passengers.