Turkish Airlines Targets To Have 813 Aircraft Fleets By 2033

Illustration of Turkish Airlines aircraft fleet. (Wikimedia Commons/Lars Steffens)

JAKARTA - Turkish-flagged airlines are targeting fleet ownership of up to 813 aircraft by 2033, to expand their services to reach most countries in the world.

Turkish Airlines (THY) has publicly stated that they want to add their fleet to nearly double the current 437 aircraft, the ninth largest fleet in the world.

"The addition of fleets in the next decade will make it the third-largest airline," said THY CEO Bilal Ekhi at an event in Istanbul.

The airline is in talks with Airbus over a possible order of 355 new aircraft, which if approved, would be the largest in the company's history. Deliveries based on new orders are expected to begin in 2026.

Reflecting on the airline's growth, EkNI noted that in 2003, THY only had a fleet of 65 aircraft, ranking 35th globally.

"We are currently flying to 129 countries around the world, with 350 destinations, including Tuki. This is undoubtedly turning Istanbul and Turkey into significant transit centers," explained Ekuntingi, quoted by the Daily Sabah December 13.

He underlined the important role played by Istanbul Airport in this growth, describing it as a catalyst for the expansion.

The airline uses its hubs in Istanbul to build large networks from all over Europe to all over Asia and Africa.

Istanbul Airport worth 1.2 billion, which opened in 2018, is said to have helped resolve the biggest obstacle the company says has prevented it from becoming the only major airline in the region from London to the Far East.

With a significant increase in capacity recently at Istanbul Airport, EkNI highlighted the potential additional 600 aircraft to accommodate. This development, he explained, would place Turkey as a more prominent global transit hub.

"People are now trying to build their business here because they have the opportunity to reach 129 countries with only one flight," said Ekkuhi.

It is known, the 2033 strategy estimates that the number of Turkish Airlines passengers will reach 170 million in the next decade.

The airline aims to increase this figure to 85 million passengers this year, compared to the approximately 82 million passengers served by 2022.