Turkish Airlines facts for kids
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| Founded | 20 May 1933 |
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| AOC # | TQKF144F |
| Hubs | Istanbul Airport |
| Frequent-flyer program | Miles & Smiles |
| Alliance | Star Alliance |
| Subsidiaries |
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| Fleet size | 365 |
| Destinations | 272 |
| Headquarters | Atatürk Airport Yeşilköy, Istanbul, Turkey |
| Key people |
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| Revenue |  US$ 20.942 billion (2023) |
| Operating income | US$ 3.959 billion (2023) |
| Net income | US$ 6.021 billion (2023) |
| Total assets | US$ 35.671 billion (2023) |
| Total equity | US$ 15.563 billion (2023) |
| Employees | 40,264 (2024) |
Turkish Airlines (in Turkish: Türk Hava Yolları) is the main airline of Turkey. It is also known by its legal name, Türk Hava Yolları Anonim Ortaklığı. As of 2024, it flies to 272 places in Europe, Asia, Oceania, Africa, and the Americas. This makes it the airline that flies to the most countries directly from one airport. It serves 126 countries, more than any other airline.
Turkish Airlines also has a cargo division called Turkish Cargo. It uses 24 cargo planes to fly to 82 destinations. The airline also owns a budget airline called AJet.
The main office for Turkish Airlines is at Istanbul Atatürk Airport in Yeşilköy, Istanbul. Its main base for flights is Istanbul Airport. Turkish Airlines joined the Star Alliance group of airlines on April 1, 2008.
Contents
History of Turkish Airlines
How it All Started
Turkish Airlines began on May 20, 1933. It was first called Turkish State Airlines and was part of the Ministry of National Defense. At first, the airline had only five planes. These included two Curtiss Kingbirds, two Junkers F 13s, and one Tupolev ANT-9.
In 1935, the airline moved to the Ministry of Public Works. Its name changed to General Directorate of State Airlines. Three years later, in 1938, it became part of the Ministry of Transportation.
Growing After the War
In 1945, the airline added several Douglas DC-3s and Douglas C-47s to its fleet. These planes helped the airline start international flights. In 1947, it began flying from Ankara to Istanbul and then to Athens.
Soon, flights to Nicosia, Beirut, and Cairo were added. However, flying within Turkey was still the main focus until the early 1960s.
In 1956, the Turkish government changed the airline's name to Türk Hava Yolları A.O. (THY). It joined the International Air Transport Association (IATA) soon after. In 1957, British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) bought a small share and helped with technical support for about 20 years.
More new planes like Vickers Viscounts, Fokker F27s, and Douglas DC-3s joined the fleet in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Turkish Airlines started using its first jet plane, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9, in 1967. Then, three Boeing 707 jets were added in 1971. Other planes like the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 and the Fokker F28 were used in 1972 and 1973.
Challenges and Changes in the 1980s and 1990s
In the 1980s and 90s, the airline faced some problems. It was known for poor service and flights that were often late. Also, there were several plane accidents during this time. The most well-known was the 1974 crash of Turkish Airlines Flight 981. A problem with a cargo door caused the plane to crash near Ermenonville, France. Sadly, 346 people died. At that time, it was the worst plane crash ever.
In 1983, a new government took over and saw how important THY was for Turkey. They started to make the airline modern. Security became much tighter.
In 1984, THY built a new, advanced technical center at Yeşilköy Airport. This center could do many types of plane repairs. By the mid-1980s, THY had 30 planes. It flew about three million passengers each year to 16 places in Turkey and 36 places around the world.
Turkish Airlines started using Airbus A310 planes in 1985. This allowed them to add flights to Singapore in 1986 and to New York City in 1987.
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The company lost money in 1987 and 1988. This was mainly because of the high costs of its new Airbus A310s. By the end of the 1980s, THY had 8,500 employees.
In 1990, the airline ordered five Airbus A340 planes. These planes could fly non-stop to North America and East Asia. The first A340 arrived in 1993.
The airline struggled during the global aviation crisis after the Gulf War. It did not make a profit again until 1994. But by the mid-1990s, business was growing, especially for flights to North America. THY started non-stop flights to New York City in July 1994.
In 1995, the airline converted three of its Boeing 727s into cargo planes. The company made a $6 million profit that year. In 1996, new airlines were allowed to compete on domestic flights in Turkey. Larger international airlines also gave strong competition on flights to Western Europe.
To stay competitive, THY made agreements with other international airlines. They worked with Japan Airlines to offer flights to Osaka and Tokyo in 1997 and 1998. They also partnered with Austrian Airlines, Swissair, and Croatia Airlines. In 1997, THY began flying to Chicago, its second destination in the US.
The 21st Century and Beyond
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A new terminal opened at Istanbul Atatürk Airport in January 2000. Turkish Airlines continued to expand its international flights. It made agreements with airlines like Asiana Airlines, American Airlines, and Malaysia Airlines in 2000.
In 2001, Turkey had an economic crisis, which reduced flights within the country. Turkish Airlines managed to survive without government help or large layoffs. They did this by quickly stopping flights that were losing money.
In 2003, the war in Iraq caused Turkish Airlines to close some routes in the Persian Gulf. Flights to Asia were also stopped during the SARS outbreak. However, the airline soon recovered. They increased flights on existing routes and started flying to Delhi again after 11 years.
In 2004, a new program to expand the fleet began. This helped THY keep one of the newest fleets in Europe. In July 2004, the airline ordered 36 jets from Airbus and 15 Boeing 737s.
THY also planned to spend $350 million on a new technical and training center at Sabiha Gökçen International Airport. The airline had a big technical team that repaired its own planes and planes for other companies.
The Turkish aviation market became more open to new airlines. But tourism was growing fast in Turkey. In 2005, THY sold its share in Cyprus Turkish Airlines.
Even though the company's shares were traded publicly, the government owned most of them. In 2004, the government sold 20% of the shares to the public. This raised $170 million. Today, the Turkey Wealth Fund owns 49.12% of THY, and the rest is publicly traded.
On April 1, 2008, Turkish Airlines joined the Star Alliance. This was after an 18-month process. It became the seventh European airline in the alliance.
In December 2011, the Turkish government planned to improve the Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu, Somalia. This airport became one of Turkish Airlines' newest destinations in 2012. In March 2012, Turkish Airlines was the first international airline to fly to Somalia since its civil war began in the early 1990s.
By the end of 2013, Turkish Airlines flew to 241 places worldwide. This included 199 international and 42 domestic destinations. The airline also started to use Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport more as a second main base.
After the 2016 coup attempt in Turkey, the US temporarily stopped flights between Turkey and the United States. This was a problem for Turkish Airlines. Their plan was to offer one-stop flights between the US and places in Africa, the Middle East, and India. The ban was lifted on July 18, and flights to the U.S. started again on July 19.
In August 2016, Turkish Airlines announced a big loss of money. They also expected to lose 10 million passengers in 2016. The airline cut down on flights to 45 European and 13 international routes. However, in 2017, the airline recovered. Its income increased by almost 35%, and it started making a profit again.
In 2020, the airline decided to move its international flights from Sabiha Gökçen Airport to its budget airline, AnadoluJet.
In February 2022, Turkish Cargo moved all its cargo flights from Istanbul Atatürk Airport to the new Istanbul Airport.
In February 2023, Turkish Airlines confirmed plans to make AnadoluJet a separate airline.
About the Company
The main office of Turkish Airlines is in the Turkish Airlines General Management Building. It is located at Istanbul Atatürk Airport in Yeşilköy, Istanbul.
Important People in Charge
On January 26, 2022, İlker Aycı stepped down as the chairman of the airline. The next day, Ahmet Bolat was chosen as the new chairman. Bilal Ekşi is the deputy chairman and CEO.
Where Turkish Airlines Flies
As of 2022, Turkish Airlines flies to 340 places in 129 countries. This includes 53 places within Turkey and 12 in the United States.
Turkish Airlines shares flights with many other airlines. This means you can book a flight with Turkish Airlines, but another airline might actually operate the plane. This helps them offer more routes to travelers.
- Aegean Airlines
- Air Albania
- Air Algérie
- Air Astana
- airBaltic
- Air Canada
- Air China
- Air Europa
- Air India
- Air Moldova
- Air New Zealand
- Air Serbia
- All Nippon Airways
- Asiana Airlines
- Avianca
- Azerbaijan Airlines
- Azul Brazilian Airlines
- Bangkok Airways
- Batik Air Malaysia
- Belavia
- Copa Airlines
- Croatia Airlines
- EgyptAir
- Ethiopian Airlines
- Etihad Airways
- EVA Air
- Finnair
- Garuda Indonesia
- Gol Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes
- Gulf Air
- Hawaiian Airlines
- Hong Kong Airlines
- Icelandair
- IndiGo
- ITA Airways
- JetBlue
- Kuwait Airways
- LOT Polish Airlines
- Lufthansa
- Luxair
- Malaysia Airlines
- MIAT Mongolian Airlines
- Middle East Airlines
- Oman Air
- Pakistan International Airlines
- Philippine Airlines
- Royal Air Maroc
- Royal Brunei Airlines
- Royal Jordanian
- RwandAir
- Scandinavian Airlines (Ends 1 September 2024)
- Singapore Airlines
- TAP Air Portugal
- TAROM
- Thai Airways
- Ukraine International Airlines
- United Airlines
- Utair
- Uzbekistan Airways
Connecting Flights with Other Airlines
Turkish Airlines also has agreements for connecting flights with these airlines:
The Turkish Airlines Fleet
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As of March 2024, Turkish Airlines has 455 aircraft. These planes are made up of 13 different types. The airline started in 1933 with only five planes. By 1945, it had 52 planes, including Douglas DC-3s used in World War II. This made Turkish Airlines the biggest airline in the Middle East at that time.
The first jet plane, a Douglas DC-9, joined the fleet in 1967. The first wide-body plane, a Douglas DC-10, was added in 1972. In the late 1980s, the airline made big changes to its fleet. The first Airbus A310 arrived, and the Airbus A340 was ordered. Boeing 737s arrived a few years later.
In 2004, the airline ordered over 50 planes from both Boeing and Airbus. In 2008, they leased three Boeing 777-300s and later ordered 12 more. In 2013, the airline ordered almost 200 planes. In March 2018, they ordered 25 Boeing 787-9s and 25 Airbus A350-900s. These started arriving in 2019 and 2020.
On May 11, 2023, the airline announced plans to buy about 600 new planes over 10 years. Most of these planes will be from Airbus and Boeing.
Miles & Smiles Program
Miles & Smiles is the program for frequent flyers of Turkish Airlines. It started in 2000. When you fly with Turkish Airlines or other airlines in the Star Alliance, you can earn miles. You can then use these miles for future flights.
If you are a Miles&Smiles Classic Plus member, you get benefits like Star Alliance Silver. Elite and Elite Plus members get Star Alliance Gold benefits.
Miles & Smiles Credit Card
You can also earn miles by using a Miles & Smiles credit card for your purchases. People living in Turkey, Israel, Azerbaijan, and Jordan can get these credit cards from local banks. The cards can be American Express, Visa, Mastercard, or Isracard. There are also agreements with banks in other countries for earning and using miles.
Turkish Airlines Corporate Club
The Turkish Airlines Corporate Club is a program for businesses. It helps companies arrange business trips easily and offers special benefits. The Corporate Club is part of the Universal Air Travel Plan Network (UATP).
Sponsorships and Promotions
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Turkish Airlines has been the official airline for many European football clubs. These include Galatasaray, Manchester United, FC Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund, and Aston Villa.
The airline has also worked with famous athletes and actors. Some of these include Lionel Messi, Kobe Bryant, Caroline Wozniacki, Kevin Costner, Wayne Rooney, and Didier Drogba.
Since 2010, the company has been the main sponsor of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. It was also a sponsor of the 2010 FIBA World Championship.
On October 22, 2013, Turkish Airlines and Euroleague agreed to continue their sponsorship for five more years until 2020.
Turkish Airlines sponsors the Turkish Airlines Open, a European Tour golf tournament held every year in Turkey since 2013.
Turkish Airlines was the jersey sponsor for Galatasaray in the 2014–15 UEFA Champions League. They also sponsored the Bosnian club FK Sarajevo. The airline continues to sponsor Galatasaray and other Turkish clubs like Trabzonspor and Başakşehir in their European games.
On December 10, 2015, Turkish Airlines and UEFA signed a deal to sponsor the UEFA Euro 2016. This made them the first airline to sponsor the UEFA European Championship tournaments.
On January 29, 2016, Turkish Airlines announced a partnership with Warner Bros. to sponsor the movie Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. A key scene in the movie takes place on a Turkish Airlines A330. That year, the airline also worked with Turkish tourism agencies to make the romantic comedy film Non-Transferable.
In September 2018, Turkish Airlines and Lega Basket Serie A, Italy's top professional basketball league, signed a sponsorship agreement. This made the airline an official partner for the 2018–19 LBA season.
In February 2019, Turkish Airlines became a partial sponsor for the Irish football club Drogheda United.
In August 2019, Turkish Airlines agreed to become the main sponsor of the Argentine sports club Club Atlético River Plate for three seasons.
Before the start of the 2022–23 season, Turkish Airlines became the official global sponsor of the UEFA Champions League, Super Cup, UEFA Youth League, and Futsal Champions League. This agreement is for the 2021–24 cycle.
Turkish Airlines Flight Academy
The Turkish Airlines Flight Academy (TAFA) was started on November 10, 2004. It began training 16 students on May 1, 2006. The academy is based at Istanbul Atatürk Airport. It uses Aydın Çıldır Airport for flight training.
The flight academy has 25 aircraft. 19 of these are single-engine planes, and 6 are multi-engine planes. The fleet includes:
- 13 Cessna 172S NAVIII
- 6 Diamond DA-40
- 6 Diamond DA-42 NG
Turkish Airlines Maintenance Center
Turkish Technic is the maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) center for Turkish Airlines. It was created in 2006. It is responsible for fixing planes for Turkish Airlines and other companies. It has eight hangars. They can work on the plane's body, landing gear, and other parts.
In January 2010, Turkish Technic opened an engine center with Pratt & Whitney. It is called TEC (Turkish Engine Center) and is located at Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW). This center repairs airplane engines for customers worldwide.
Turkish Technic used to be at Istanbul Atatürk Airport. It bought MNG Technic and its hangars. The main complex then moved to SAW, where two new hangars were built. There are also two smaller hangars at Ankara Esenboğa Airport. More hangars are being built at the new Istanbul Airport to handle the growing number of planes.
Plane Incidents and Accidents
Over its history, Turkish Airlines has had 19 incidents and accidents. 15 of these were fatal, meaning people died. In total, 68 crew members, 835 passengers, and 35 people on the ground have died.
- On February 17, 1959, a Vickers Viscount plane crashed in thick fog while trying to land at London Gatwick Airport. The plane was carrying the Turkish Prime Minister, Adnan Menderes. Nine passengers and five crew members died. Adnan Menderes survived.
- On September 23, 1961, Turkish Airlines Flight 835, a Fokker F27-100, crashed near Esenboğa Airport in Ankara Province. All 4 crew and 24 of the 25 passengers died.
- On March 8, 1962, a Fairchild F-27 plane crashed into the Taurus Mountains while trying to land at Adana Şakirpaşa Airport. All three crew and all eight passengers died.
- On February 3, 1964, a Douglas C-47 cargo plane crashed while landing at Esenboğa Airport, Ankara. All three crew members died.
- On February 2, 1969, a Vickers Viscount plane crashed while landing at Esenboğa Airport. No one was hurt.
- On January 26, 1974, Turkish Airlines Flight 301, a Fokker F28-1000, crashed shortly after taking off from Izmir Cumaovası Airport. This was due to ice on the wings. 4 of the 5 crew and 62 of the 68 passengers died.
- On March 3, 1974, Turkish Airlines Flight 981, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10, crashed in Ermenonville Forest, France. This happened because of a problem with the cargo doors. All 335 passengers and 11 crew members died.
- On January 30, 1975, Turkish Airlines Flight 345, a Fokker F28-1000, crashed into the Sea of Marmara while trying to land at Istanbul Yeşilköy Airport. All 4 crew and all 38 passengers died.
- On September 19, 1976, Turkish Airlines Flight 452, a Boeing 727-200, hit a mountain during a landing attempt. All eight crew and 146 people on board died.
- On December 23, 1979, a Fokker F28-1000 plane crashed into a hill near Esenboğa Airport in bad weather. Three of the four crew and 38 of the 41 passengers died.
- On January 16, 1983, Turkish Airlines Flight 158, a Boeing 727-200, landed too short of the runway at Esenboğa Airport in heavy snow. The plane broke apart and caught fire. All 7 crew survived, but 47 of the 60 passengers died.
- On December 29, 1994, Turkish Airlines Flight 278, a Boeing 737-400, crashed during its landing approach at Van Ferit Melen Airport in heavy snow. Five of the seven crew and 52 of the 69 passengers died.
- On April 7, 1999, Turkish Airlines Flight 5904, a Boeing 737-400, crashed near Ceyhan, Adana, shortly after taking off. There were no passengers, but all six crew members died.
- On January 8, 2003, Turkish Airlines Flight 634, an Avro RJ-100, crashed while landing at Diyarbakır Airport, Turkey. All five crew and 70 passengers died out of 80 people on board.
- On October 3, 2006, Turkish Airlines Flight 1476 was hijacked by a Turkish citizen. The hijacker surrendered after the plane landed in Brindisi, Italy.
- On February 25, 2009, Turkish Airlines Flight 1951, a Boeing 737-800, crashed during its landing approach at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, Netherlands. A faulty altimeter caused the engines to slow down too much. The crew did not react correctly, leading to the crash. Nine people, including the three pilots, died.
- On March 3, 2015, Turkish Airlines Flight 726 went off the runway while landing at Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu, Nepal. The Airbus A330 plane was badly damaged. All 227 passengers and 11 crew members got out safely without injuries.
- On April 25, 2015, Turkish Airlines Flight 1878, an Airbus A320-200, was badly damaged in a landing accident at Istanbul Atatürk Airport. Everyone on board was safely evacuated without injuries.
- On January 16, 2017, Turkish Airlines Flight 6491, a Boeing 747-412F operated for Turkish Airlines by another company, crashed into a neighborhood while trying to land at Manas International Airport in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. All four crew members and 35 people on the ground died.
- On November 21, 2019, Turkish Airlines Flight 467, a Boeing 737-800, had its nose landing gear collapse while trying to land in strong winds at Odesa International Airport in Ukraine. All passengers and crew got off safely using emergency slides. The plane was too damaged to be repaired.
Images for kids
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Istanbul Atatürk Airport, November 2013.
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A Turkish Airlines Airbus A321-200 in Turkish Airlines Euroleague colors. The airline has been the main sponsor of the top European basketball league since 2010.
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See also
- List of airlines of Turkey
- Aviation in Turkey
