Turkish Airlines

Turkish Airlines began in May 1933 as the State Airlines Administration. It was a five-aircraft branch of Turkey's Ministry of National Defense, flying short domestic trips from Ankara. The airline was reorganized as Turk Hava Yollari in 1956 and joined IATA, the global airline trade body. It grew slowly as a state carrier, took up jets, then added intercontinental routes in the 1980s.

Partial privatization started in the 1990s, meaning private investors bought part of the company. The real change came after it joined Star Alliance in 2008, a group whose members feed passengers onto each other's flights. Turkish built its plan around Istanbul's position, within single-aisle range of most of Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia. Single-aisle jets are the smaller, cheaper planes that airlines use most.

Today it serves more countries than any airline in the world, over 120, and reaches some 340 destinations. In April 2019 it pulled off a rare feat. It moved its whole hub from Ataturk Airport to the vast new Istanbul Airport in about 45 hours. A hub is an airport where an airline gathers flights so travelers can change planes. Turkish stays profitable at a scale few flag carriers match.

Turkish Airlines flies around 460 aircraft, split almost evenly between Airbus and Boeing, which few airlines do. Short routes use A321neos, other A320-family jets, 737-800s, and 737 MAXs. Widebodies, the big twin-aisle jets used on long routes, include A350-900s, Boeing 787-9s, 777-300ERs, and A330s.

A large 777 freighter fleet serves Turkish Cargo, a top-ten global cargo business. A landmark 2023 Airbus deal covers up to 355 aircraft, including A350s and hundreds of A321neos. The airline has chased more 787 and 777X capacity too, aiming for about 800 aircraft by 2033.