Turkish Airlines, Inc. (Turkish: Türk Hava Yolları Anonim Ortaklığı) is the national flag carrier airline of Turkey, headquartered in the Turkish Airlines General Management Building on the grounds of Atatürk Airport in Yeşilköy, Istanbul. It operates scheduled services to 128 international and 39 domestic cities (38 domestic airports), serving a total of 167 airports, in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. The airline's main base is at Atatürk International Airport, with secondary hubs at Esenboğa International Airport, Sabiha Gökçen International Airport, and Adnan Menderes Airport. In 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009, THY carried 17 million, 19.7 million, 22.5 million, and 25.1 million passengers with total revenues of US $2.23, US $3.0, US $4.5, and US $4 billion, respectively.
THY has been selected by Skytrax as providing the best economy class food services in the world and as Europe's Fastest Growing Airline. According to 2010 data, Turkish Airlines is Europe's 3rd best and Southern Europe's best airline.
The airline has more than 15,000 employees. THY has been a member of the Star Alliance network since 1 April 2008.
Turkish Airlines is in talks with JAT of Serbia to establish a new company instead of JAT Airways that is in debt.
Turkish Airlines is currently an official sponsor of FC Barcelona, Manchester United F.C., Maroussi Basketball Club and the Turkish Airlines Euroleague Basketball. The airline also has an endorsement deal with Kobe Bryant and 2010 tennis season No.1 Caroline Wozniacki has become the new face of Turkish Airlines Business Class and Comfort Class until 2014. and in the PTT Thailand Open
History of Company
930s 1940s: Early years
Turkish Airlines was founded under law no. 2186 in ANKARA under the name"STATE AIRLINES ADMINISTRATION" as a department of the Ministry of Defence.State Airlines Administration,now Turkish Airlines,started operation with five aircraft and 23 seating capacity on August 1933.
The Fleet in 1933
2 King Bird (5 seats) 2 Junkers F-13 (4 seats) 1 Tupolev ANT-9 (10 seats)
In 1938,the name was changed to "General Directorate of State Airlines" and was operated under the Ministry of Transportation
In 1945,DC-3 aircraft joined the fleet
In 1947, the first international flight was held between Ankara and Athens via Istanbul.Under the control of Adil Gozender and Orhan Ayata,The DC-3 aircraft registered as TC-ABA took off from Ankara in the morning at 10.00 to Athens after making transfer in Istanbul.The journey last 2 hours and 40 minutes totally.
Postwar Period
The airline benefited from the postwar U.S. assistance program to Turkey. With the help of Pan American, the fleet was upgraded with Douglas DC-3s.THY soon added to the route network were Nicosia, Cyprus; Beirut, Lebanon; and Cairo, Egypt. Domestic service remained the airline's focus until the 1960s, however.
The Turkish government reorganized the airline in 1956 under the name Türk Hava Yollari A.O. (THY). It was capitalized at TRL 60 million. British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) began supplying technical support after acquiring a 6 percent shareholding,which it held for about 20 years.
The fleet was upgraded with Viscounts and Fokker F27s in the late 1950s. The company began operating its first jet, a DC-9, in 1967. This was followed by the addition of a leased Boeing 707 in 1971. Other jets operated in the early 1970s included the DC-10 and Boeing 727.
1980s and 1990s
Unfortunately, the airline was plagued by a several difficult issues. It developed a reputation for poor customer service and delays. It also endured hijackings and suffered seven accidents between 1974 and 1983, noted Air Transport World.
However, a new government came to power in 1983 which recognized THY's importance as Turkey's ambassador to the world, beginning the airline's make-over into a modern operation. It would maintain one of the youngest fleets in the world. Security was intensified, causing one shipper to compare it to Israel's El Al, at least in terms of delays.
THY built a new, state-of-the-art technical center at Yesilkoy Airport in 1984. It was capable of both light and heavy maintenance on a number of different aircraft type. Technical staff then made up one-quarter of the airline's 6,000 employees, according to Air Transport World. n 1984, the company's capital was raised to TRL 60 billion as it was classified as a state economic enterprise. Three years later, the capital was raised again, to TL150 billion.
By the mid-1980s, THY had a fleet of 30 aircraft. It was flying about three million passengers a year to 16 domestic destinations and three dozen international ones. The airline was Turkey's largest source of foreign currency, according to Air Transport World. Turkish Airlines operating Airbus 310s in 1985, allowing the addition of flights to Singapore in 1986. A route to Brussels and New York was added in 1988.
The company posted losses in 1987 and 1988, largely due to high payments on its dozen new Airbus A310s, according to Air Transport World. The fleet also included 11 Boeing 727s and nine DC-9s. THY ended the decade with 8,500 employees.
The company suffered in the global aviation crisis following the Persian Gulf War and would not break even again until 1994. However, business was again booming in the mid-1990s, with the greatest growth coming from North American destinations. THY launched a nonstop to New York in July 1994.
The company's capital continued to be raised, reaching TRL 10 trillion in 1995. During that year, the airline also converted three of its Boeing 727s to dedicated freighters. (The old DC-9s had been sold off.) The company posted a $6 million profit on revenues of $1 billion for the year. While profitable, THY had to contend with Turkey's exorbitant inflation, making capital improvements difficult.
The domestic market was deregulated in 1996, allowing new scheduled competition from charter airlines. At the same time, larger international carriers were providing stiff competition on routes to Western Europe. THY entered into marketing agreements with other international airlines to enhance its competitiveness. The company teamed with Japan Airlines to offer service to Osaka and Tokyo in 1997 and 1998. Other jointly operated flights soon followed with Austrian Airlines, Swissair, and Croatian Airlines.
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| Turkish Airlines Airbus A330-200, SIN |
2000s
A new terminal opened for the airline in January 2000 at Istanbul's Atatürk International Airport. Turkish Airlines continued to extend its international reach, forging marketing agreements with Asiana Airlines (Seoul, Korea), American Airlines, Malaysian Airlines, LOT Polish Airlines, Czech Airlines, and Cathay Pacific Airlines (Hong Kong) in 2000. An Antalya-Frankfurt route was added in 2001 through a code sharing agreement with Sun Express. However, THY withdrew from the Swissair-led Qualiflyer Alliance in order to help attract a strategic investor in its privatization.
Turkey underwent an economic crisis throughout most of 2001, cutting traffic on domestic routes in particular. THY managed to survive after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States without a government bailout or mass layoffs, although 300 middle management positions were eliminated, 400 part-timers were laid off, and wages were cut 10 percent. Turkish Daily News credited the airline's survival to entrepreneurial management, which was quick to cancel loss-making routes at home and abroad.
In 2003, the war in Iraq prompted Turkish Airlines to close some routes in the Persian Gulf, while flights to Asia were suspended during the SARS epidemic. However, the airline soon recovered, increasing frequencies on existing routes and adding service to India (New Delhi) after an 11-year lapse.
Another fleet expansion program kicked off in 2004, helping THY maintain one of the youngest fleets in Europe. In July, the airline announced the massive order of 36 jets from Airbus, worth $2.8 billion, plus another 15 Boeing 737s.
THY was not just ordering new planes. It was planning to spend $350 million on a new technical and training facility at Istanbul's underutilized Sabiha Gokcen International Airport, reported Air Transport World. The airline had built up a significant technical services operation, maintaining not just its own aircraft but those of third parties. Turkish Technic employed 2,700 and was planning to hire another 2,000 by 2010. THY also had three flight simulators and offered flight training services.
Although the company was publicly traded, the government owned 98 percent of shares. The privatization program was revived in 2004 with a public offering of 20 percent of shares on the Istanbul Stock Exchange. The Turkish government owned 75 percent of shares after the offering, which raised $170 million. THY was divesting its 50 percent holding in Cyprus Turkish Airlines (Kibris Turk Hava Yollari) in 2005.
THY faced the entry of new competitors into the liberalizing Turkish aviation market. However, tourism was booming, with 20 million people expected to visit the country in 2005 versus 12 million in 2003.
THY's financial statements should be read in light of a new currency created in January 2005. One New Turkish Lira (YTL) is equivalent to one million of the former Turkish Lira (TRL).
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| Turkish Airlines Airbus A340-300, SIN |
Turkish Airlines destinations
Codeshare agreements
Turkish Airlines has codeshare agreements with the following airlines (* indicates fellow Star Alliance members):
Air China *
Air India
Air Malta
All Nippon Airways *
AnadoluJet
Asiana Airlines *
Austrian Airlines *
B&H Airlines
Croatia Airlines *
EgyptAir *
Ethiopian Airlines
Etihad Airways
LOT Polish Airlines *
Lufthansa *
Malaysia Airlines
Pakistan International Airlines
Royal Air Maroc
Singapore Airlines *
Spanair *
SunExpress
Swiss International Airlines *
Syrian Air
TAP Portugal *
Thai Airways International *
United Airlines *
US Airways *
Fleet
As of December 2010, the Turkish Airlines fleet (excluding subsidiaries) consists of 151 passenger and 5 cargo aircraft with an average age of 6.8 years.
Turkish Airlines passenger fleet
Aircraft In Service Orders Passengers Notes
TOTAL First Business Comfort Economy
Airbus A319-100 5 6 124 0 0 0 124
Airbus A320-200 25 150 0 0 0 150
Airbus A321-200 21 14 186 0 10 0 176
Airbus A330-200 7 1 250 0 22 0 228
Airbus A330-300 5 5 289 0 28 0 261
Airbus A340-300 9 271 0 34 0 237 TC-JDL painted in Star Alliance livery
Boeing 737-400 3 150 0 0 0 150
Boeing 737-700 14 149 0 0 0 149
Boeing 737-800 52 10 155 0 20 0 135 TC-JFH and TC-JFI painted in Star Alliance livery
TC-JGY painted in FC Barcelona lively.
TC-JFV painted in Manchester United livery.
Boeing 737-900ER – 10 165 featuring Sky Interior design.
15 more options for 737 NG airplanes.
Boeing 777-300ER 9 7 312
337 8
0 30
28 0
63 274
246 1 more orders to be delivered by the end of 2010
TC-JJA to TC-JJI
Total 150 53
Turkish Airlines cargo fleet
Aircraft Total Orders Notes
Airbus A310-300F 4
Airbus A330-200F 1 1
Total 5 1
Fleet expansion
On 14 October 2008, Turkish Airlines issued one of the world's largest commercial aircraft purchase tenders. The tender which has since been extended to 17 December 2008, is for the purchase of 105 planes valued at US $6 billion. This will include a firm order for 25 wide-body, long-haul planes and 50 narrow-body, medium-haul aircraft. It would also place options for 10 wide-body and 20 narrow-body aircraft. Turkish Airlines has already announced orders for 24 wide-body aircraft and 40 narrow-body aircraft, plus 25 options for narrow-body aircraft. The first Boeing 777-300ER of the new order is delivered to Turkish Airlines on 13.10.2010.
Livery
The airline's eurowhite livery is a white fuselage with blue lettering, a tulip on the fuselage running from the rear of the wing to the tail, and a red tail with the company logo in a white circle.
New logo
A modified logo has been introduced. The main change is the logo's switch from a red emblem on a white background to a white emblem on a red background.
Turkish Airlines Flight Academy
Turkish Airlines Flight Academy is founded by 28th THY Board’s order on 10 November 2004. THY Flight Academy started training with 16 cadets on 1 May 2006. Flight Academy based at İstanbul Atatürk Airport and uses nearby Hezarfen Airfield and Çorlu Airport for training activities.
Aircraft Number Notes
Cessna Citation Mustang 2 5 pax.
Diamond DA-42NG 2
Cessna 172S 10
Maintenance center
Turkish Airlines Maintenance Center
The airlines has a maintenance centre at its hub Atatürk International Airport (IST) in Istanbul. Turkish Airlines Maintenance Center (THY Technic) is responsible for the maintenance, repair and overhaul of THY's aircraft, engines and components.
Turkish Technic is to open a new engine center in partnership with Pratt & Whitney at Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW). The facility will provide engine maintenance, repair and overhaul services to customers worldwide.
Affinity programs
Miles&Smiles is the frequent flyer program of Turkish Airlines, started after the airline left Qualiflyer. The earned miles can be used in Turkish Airlines's flights, as well as flights on Lufthansa, including the entire Star Alliance network.
Incidents and accidents
During its 75 year history, Turkish Airlines has had three accidents on its international flights, and 18 on domestic flights. They include the following:
On 17 February 1959, a Vickers Viscount Type 793, registration TC-SEV, crashed in heavy fog just before landing at London Gatwick Airport. The charter flight was carrying Turkish Prime Minister Adnan Menderes and a governmental delegation to London for signing the Zürich and London Agreements on the Cyprus issue. Menderes was among the ten survivors of 8 crew and 16 passengers on board. This was the airline's first accident.
On 23 September 1961, Fokker F27 Friendship 100 TC-TAY crashed at Karanlıktepe on approach to Esenboğa International Airport, Ankara. All of the four crew and 24 of the 25 passengers on board lost their lives.
On 8 March 1962, Fairchild F27 TC-KOP crashed at Taurus Mountains on approach to Adana Airport. All three crew and eight passengers on board were killed.
On 2 February 1969, Vickers Viscount TC-SET crashed on approach to Esenboğa International Airport, Ankara. There were no casualties.
On 16 September 1969, a Vickers Viscount was hijacked and landed in Sofia, Bulgaria.
On 26 January 1974, Fokker F28 Fellowship 1000 (registered TC-JAO and named Van) on a scheduled domestic flight from Izmir Cumaovası Airport (IZM) to Istanbul Yeşilköy Airport (IST/LTBA) crashed shortly after takeoff due to atmospheric icing on the wings. The aircraft disintegrated and caught fire killing four of the five crew and 62 of the 68 passengers on board.
On 3 March 1974, Flight 981 crashed in France due to explosive decompression, killing all 346 people aboard. The main cause was a design fault on the cargo doors of DC-10 aircraft, registered TC-JAV and named Ankara. Prior to the Tenerife airport disaster, it was the deadliest aircraft disaster in the world.
On 30 January 1975, Flight 345, a Fokker F28-1000 Fellowship (registered TC-JAP and named Bursa) on a scheduled domestic flight from Izmir Cumaovası Airport (IZM) to Istanbul Yeşilköy Airport (IST/LTBA) crashed into the Sea of Marmara during its final approach at the destination airport and sank. All the four crew and 38 passengers on board the aircraft lost their lives.
On 19 September 1976, Flight 452, a Boeing 727-2F2 (registration TC-JBH, named Antalya) on a domestic flight from Istanbul Yeşilköy Airport (IST/LTBA) to Antalya Airport (AYT/LTAI) struck high ground in Karatepe Mountains during an attempted landing in Isparta instead of Antalya by pilot error. All the eight crew and 146 passeners on board were killed.
On 23 December 1979, a Fokker F28 Fellowship 1000 (registration TC-JAT, named Trabzon) on a scheduled domestic flight from Samsun Airport (SSX/LTAQ) to Esenboğa Airport (ESB/LTAC) in Ankara struck a hill in Kuyumcuköy village at Çubuk, 32 km (20 mi) north-east of the destination airport in severe turbulence on approach to landing. Three of the four crew and 38 of the 41 passengers on board were killed.
On 16 January 1983, Flight 158, a Boeing 727-2F2 (registration TC-JBR, named Afyon) landed about 50 m (160 ft) short of the runway at Ankara Esenboğa Airport (ESB/LTAC) in driving snow, broke up and caught fire. 47 passengers died, all of the seven crew and 13 passengers survived the accident with injuries.
On 29 December 1994, Flight 278, a Boeing 737-4Y0 (registration: TC-JES, named Mersin) crashed during its final approach to land at Van Ferit Melen Airport (VAN/LTCI) in driving snow. Five of the seven crew and 52 of the 69 passengers died.
On 7 April 1999, Flight 5904, a Boeing 737-4Q8 (registration TC-JEP, named Trakya) on a repositioning flight crashed in Ceyhan eight minutes after taking off from Adana Şakirpaşa Airport (ADA/LTAF). There were no passengers on board, but all six crew members died in the accident.
On 8 January 2003, Flight 634, an Avro RJ-100 (registration: TC-THG, named Konya) crashed while on a VOR/DME approach to runway 34 at Diyarbakir Airport (DIY/LTCC), Turkey. 75 of the 80 passengers and crew died.
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| Flight 1951, 25 February 2009 |
On 25 February 2009, Flight 1951, a Boeing 737–800 (registration: TC-JGE, named Tekirdağ) carrying 135 passengers, crashed while approaching Schiphol Airport, Netherlands. Nine people died, including the three pilots. 86 passengers were transported to local hospitals. The preliminary results of the Dutch investigation found that a faulty altimeter caused the aircraft to throttle the engines back to idle and that the crew failed to react quickly enough resulting in a stall and crash. Boeing advised operators of all 737 aircraft to carefully monitor primary flight instruments and not to engage autopilot/throttle systems during approach and landing in event of a radio altimeter malfunction.
On 6 January 2011, an attempt was made to hijack Flight 1754 from Gardermoen Airport, Oslo to Ataturk International Airport, Istanbul. The hijacker was overpowered by other passengers on the flight and was arrested when the aircraft landed. The flight was being operated by Boeing 737-800 TC-JGZ.
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