Turkish Airlines which flies to 285 destinations in 113 countries was voted Europe’s best airline for the fifth year in a row in 2015. Chief Marketing Officer, Ahmet Olmustur, attributes this achievement to exceptional service quality and world-class products. An OER interview          

Turkish Airlines reported its highest ever net profit of $1.69bn in 2015. What has enabled the airline to put up such a stellar performance?
There have been many reasons for our growth. Firstly, our services and world-class products have put us up there amongst the world’s best airlines. We were voted Europe’s best airline for the fifth year in a row in 2015 according to Skytrax survey and this speaks for itself. We are a very productive airline, cost-cutting is important for us. Historically, the centre of gravity of the aviation industry was placed in the West, which means that the global aviation market was dominated by the US and European markets; but it is no secret that the centre of the gravity of the global aviation is moving, and it’s moving further East, meaning that the number of city pairs illustrating the global connections via the airline networks are being increased rapidly in the East. Istanbul is Europe’s most Eastern point so the winds of change are turning in our favour. Thanks to the geographic position of our Istanbul hub, we are getting more and more passengers who are either flying to Istanbul or through it, and this has helped us greatly.
We love our business and we work very hard, enabling us to offer exceptional products and services for our guests on board. The third airport (currently being built in Istanbul), will further benefit both us and the global civil aviation sector, come 2018.
The airline recorded a load factor of 78 per cent flying 61.2 million passengers in 2015. Which are the regions/sectors that account for the maximum business and which are your fastest growing destinations?
As a global network carrier basing on the hub&spoke system, Europe remains Turkish Airline’s most important international region by passenger numbers. Within Europe, Germany is one of our best markets. Besides flying to all the popular European destinations numerous times daily, we have also penetrated thinner European markets, and will continue to grow in many of the continent’s second and third-tier markets which are not well-served with larger aircraft such as Edinburgh (EDI), Liverpool (LPL), Billund (BLL) and Genoa (GOA). We fly to 14 destinations in Germany, 10 destinations in Russia, 10 destinations in Italy, six destinations each in France and Spain.
Right now, North America is Turkish Airlines’ fastest growing passenger region and there is a lot of opportunity for us here. Africa, too, is a very attractive market and will definitely be one of our most important destinations in the year ahead.
Turkish Airlines flies to 285 destinations in 113 countries. Are you planning to add new destinations in 2016?
The year 2016 will be a fruitful year for the airline in terms of new long haul destinations.
We have been focused on the Americas: Turkish Airlines’ Americas expansion continues with the launch of Bogota (Columbia) and Panama (Panama) flights in early May. With the inclusion of these two new destinations, Turkish Airlines will reach 14 in terms of American destination served; this will increase to 15 with the launch of Atlanta soon after. Another long haul destination will be Hanoi, Vietnam, and we are planning to launch this route at the end of June 2016.
The airline has a fleet strength of 304 aircraft as of date. What is the fleet mix, in terms of wide body, long haul, shot haul aircraft etc? And is the airline looking at increasing its fleet strength in the near future?
Established in 1933 with a fleet of five aircraft, Star Alliance member Turkish Airlines is a four-star airline today with a fleet of 304 (passenger and cargo) aircraft flying to 285 destinations worldwide with 236 international and 49 domestic. In terms of seat capacity ranking, the airline has the 13th biggest fleet in the world.
We will have 339 aircraft at the end of 2016 and 442 aircraft at the end of 2021. Our fleet consists of wide and narrow body aircraft (passenger and cargo) of both Airbus and Boeing.
Our conclusive orders are as follow, similarly consiting of wide and narrow body aircraft:
Almost 70 per cent of Turkish Airlines ticket sales come from abroad. What makes it a preferred choice for customers?
As I mentioned, we do have a top product. Our airline flies to more countries than any other airline in the world. Our connectivity has put us in a very strong position. Additionally, we have built prestige through our services both on and off the ground. For example, Istanbul Ataturk Airport’s Turkish Airlines Lounge has been voted the best business class lounge in the world. We have some of the leading footballers from around the world endorsing our services, too, so a combination of a top quality products, and some of the best sponsorships in the business, can put us ahead of the game. In brief, we are a global network carrier caring offering excellent service to its guests.
The airline has been voted as the Best Airline in Europe for the fifth time in a row. How do you see this achievement?
We are very proud of this accomplishment. We want to be known for the highest standards of service and real, genuine Turkish hospitality, and we are getting there. At this point, I would like to state that our joint venture catering company with Do&Co, called “Turkish Do&Co” is a great asset to our brand, with the top restaurant quality airline catering they serve to our guests on board.
Do you expect the global slowdown and low oil prices to affect business in 2016?
I believe our growth would continue regardless of the drop in fuel prices. Our fleet is very young, which provides great efficiency in fuel consumption. We also use high-tech software to help reduce fuel consumption. We have an exceptional service quality. All the Turkish Airlines’ team love their business and their guests; we will continue to do our best to offer them an excellent product and service, beyond their expectations.