Turkish Airlines, Turkish State Railways join forces

ANKARA - Anadolu Agency

AA Photo

Turkish Airlines and Turkish State Railways signed a cooperation agreement on April 21, laying the ground for combined transport operations and the joint training of staff.

The protocol was signed at the headquarters of Turkish Airlines by CEO Temel Kotil and the general manager of Turkish State Railways, Ömer Yıldız.

Under the protocol, the training of railway cabin staff will begin under the direction of the Turkish Airlines Cabin Crew Training Unit.

Turkish State Railways and Turkish Airlines will offer joint ticket promotions, while passengers of Turkish Airlines who earn frequent-flyer miles will be able to use them on train trips.

The new protocol also envisages the establishment of new routes joining railways and airlines, especially to destinations where Turkish Airlines does not provide services.

The ticket services of both companies and online channels will be integrated as well.

Turkish State Railways operates 10,991 kilometers of railways, making it the 22nd largest railway system in the world. It is also the eighth biggest high-speed train operator globally.

Turkish Airlines, which has scheduled flights to over 260 destinations worldwide and carried 54.7 million passengers last year, is the fourth largest airline in Europe.