Photo: planespotters.net / Matic Lomovsek
Reading Time: 3 minutesTurkish Airlines has been awarded ‘Airline of The Year’ and Turkish Cargo won ‘Cargo Airline of the Year’ award.
Turkish Technic won ‘MRO Company of the Year’ award and Istanbul Ataturk Airport, operated by TAV Airports, won ‘Airport of the Year’ awards in 2016 Air Transport News Awards.
“As the Turkish Airlines network grows every day by offering more and more services, the satisfaction of our guests is still our first priority. We have succeed a significant rise by increasing the number of our passengers from 10.3 million (in 2002) to nearly 62 million last year.
With total 284 flight destinations to 113 countries, we became the airline that flies to the most countries in the world. In 2016, we anticipate carrying 72 million passengers.
Our fleet has reached 304 today; one of the youngest fleets in Europe. We’ll continue to grow by purchasing new airplanes and by adding new destinations to our global flight network.
Turkish Airlines has been awarded the Best Airline Europe by Skytrax five years in a row. In 2023, we aim to increase our number of passengers from nearly 60 million to 120 million, and our number of aircrafts from 300 to more than 500. With the completion of the new airport in Istanbul,Turkish Airlines will achieve a much different momentum.” İlker Ayci, chairman of the board and the executive committee Turkish Airlines said.
Ayci added: “Turkish Cargo as a sub-brand of Turkish Airlines, utilizing its flight network and fleet along with its own freighters, has become one of the fastest growing players in the global air cargo industry. Turkish Cargo achieved 18% yearly average growth over the past decade. Turkish Cargo increased its cargo and mail volume to 720.000 tons in 2015 and aims to be in “The League of Millions” in terms of cargo carried.
With the existing fleet structure, cargo services to 61 cargo destinations are on offer besides 284 destinations with passengers aircraft. Today, Turkish Cargo carries cargo and mails to more countries than any other airline and has the widest international network. Turkish Cargo continues its investments without deceleration like the new cargo terminal in Istanbul Ataturk Airport. Turkish Cargo will have 150,000 m2 enclosed area in the new airport in Istanbul. Turkish Cargo is strongly committed to increase service quality day by day and to promote Istanbul to become a global logistics centre.”
TAV Airports President and CEO Sani Şener remarked: “Customer satisfaction lays at the core of all our operations since the establishment of TAV. We closely follow the needs and demands of our passengers and provide solutions accordingly. The products and services that we innovate are employed at 70 airports in 17 countries.
Istanbul Atatürk Airport was the third busiest airport of Europe surpassing London and Paris by providing services to 61.3 million passengers last year. During this process there have been comprehensive developments at Istanbul Ataturk in order to provide an enhanced passenger experience. We have renovated and redesigned the duty-free and F&B spaces as to comply with the passenger flow at the terminals. Biometric passport control was introduced. Our accessibility program was selected as a best-practice at the UN.
Consequently, we have been awarded the ASQ award for the airport with the most increase in service quality, a direct appreciation of our passengers. As soon as the additional facility, which is about to be completed at the international terminal, opens into service, Ataturk Airport will be ready to serve around 75-80 million passengers annually. We thanks all our stakeholders, especially the General Directorate of State Airports Authority, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Turkish Airlines and all our employees who contributed to this success.”