Turkish Airlines gears up plans ahead of new airport

ISTANBUL - Anatolia News Agency

Turkish Airlines (THY) benefits from expansion opportunities in Sabiha Gökçen Airport, on Istanbul’s Asian side, aiming to raise its number of passengers to 46 million and its turnover to $9.7 billion as it waits for a third airport in the city to become operational.

“We allocate our planes to Sabiha Gökçen airport and we eye increasing the number of flights there due to capacity limitations in Atatürk Airport,” General Manager of THY Temel Kotil said after an award ceremony organized by Ekonomist Magazine, where he received honors. 

Regarding THY’s recent announcement that it will purchase 117 planes from Airbus, the general manager said 40 planes will be delivered by 2017 and all planes will operate at the new airport, which will also become partially operational in 2017.

Kotil also shared the company’s prospects for the future and growth plans. He said they are aiming for 46 million passengers, after reaching 39 million in 2012, a 20 percent increase from a year earlier. “THY is as institutionalized as the West and as emotional as the East, and this is the secret behind our success,” Kotil added.