had 60 aircraft in its fleet. Today, it is the ninth-largest airline in the world in terms of fleet size, operating a total of 391 aircraft and flying to more destinations worldwide than any other carrier.
And there is still further growth to come – Türkiye’s flag carrier will shortly take delivery of its 400th aircraft, in the same year that the country will celebrate its 100th birthday. By the end of 2023, the size of the airline’s fleet is expected to reach 427 aircraft.
Turkish Airlines’ CEO, Ahmet Bolat, celebrated the impressive expansion, saying,
“As THY, we were flying to 53 countries, 104 cities, and 106 destinations in 2003. With the capacity expansions we have made, there are currently 129 countries, 337 cities, and 342 destinations in our flight network. With this network, we continue to grow as the airline that flies to most countries in the world. We procured our one-hundredth plane in 2006, our 200th in 2012, and we took delivery of our 300th plane in 2016. On the 100th anniversary of our republic, we will have our 400th plane.”
Growing passenger and cargo operations
Turkish Airlines carried 71.8 million passengers in 2022, reaching 96.7% of its pre-pandemic levels. This figure is set to increase to 88 million for 2023 – a significant rise from the 10.4 million passengers the airline saw in 2003.
The airline’s cargo operations have experienced similar exponential growth. In 2003, the airline transported just over 100,000 tons of cargo. By 2022, this figure had risen to 1.6 million tons, and thanks to the airline’s new cargo facility, it will soon have an annual cargo capacity of 4 million tons.
A young, efficient fleet
The most common narrowbody aircraft in Turkish Airlines’ fleet is the Boeing 737-800, of which there are 84. When looking at the most numerous widebody aircraft, the airline boasts 37 Airbus A330-300s, followed by 33 Boeing 777-300ERs.
The Star Alliance member airline prides itself on flying a young and efficient fleet – according to data from ch-aviation.com, the average age of Turkish Airlines’ aircraft is just 8.9 years old. The carrier’s ongoing fleet renewal strategy will ensure that this trend continues, as highlighted by Bolat, who said,
“As we take delivery of new planes, and planes that have completed their operational life abandon the fleet, we will both increase this rate and reduce our fleet age.”
In addition to receiving its 400th aircraft, this year will see another significant event for Turkish Airlines. The carrier is now the official sponsor of the UEFA Champion’s League, and in June 2023, Istanbul will host the final of the sporting event. To celebrate the partnership, the airline will soon debut a special livery on one of its Airbus A330-300s.
