Turkish Airlines Celebrates 90 Years of Service

Turkish Airlines Celebrates 90 Years of Service

In time for the celebration of its 90th anniversary this year, Turkish Airlines continues to expand its U.S. network with the opening of its 13th U.S. gateway in Detroit, Michigan. Beginning November 15, 2023, the leading global airline will introduce flights from Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW), connecting travelers in the Midwest region to Türkiye’s tourism hub, Istanbul, and the airline’s more than 340 destinations in 129 countries across five continents.

With a centrally located hub in Istanbul, Turkish Airlines strategically connects to more than 80 destinations within a 3-hour flight. Its U.S. expansion reflects the airline’s ambitious growth plans intending to drive U.S. tourism to Türkiye, with an annual goal of 2 million visitors per year.

Other recent notable additions as part of the airline’s U.S. expansion include the opening of gateways in Newark and Dallas in 2021 and its first-ever Pacific-Northwest route in Seattle in 2022. In 2023, in addition to Detroit, the airline plans to welcome its 14th gateway in Denver.

When flying Turkish Airlines, travelers can experience the airline’s world-renowned Turkish hospitality and its award-winning Business Class service with modern full-flat seats, first-rate entertainment systems, and new Ferragamo amenity kits. The airline offers premium onboard dining with a brand-new menu of gourmet dishes prepared by Flying Chefs using only the highest quality and freshest ingredients.

For travelers embarking on long transfer flights, Turkish Airlines offers a Stopover Accommodation Service which allows passengers flying from selected destinations in U.S. to enjoy accommodations in Istanbul included with their ticket. Economy Class passengers can take advantage of a 2-night stay, while Business Class passengers can book up to a 3-night stay.

The launch of the new U.S. gateways comes on the heels of a highly successful second quarter of business for the airline. Turkish Airlines reported finishing the second quarter of 2023 with $635 million in net profit, with significant recovery on international demand. The strong international demand translates to a 28% higher passenger capacity than the airline’s 2019 levels. Through its 90 years of experience and successful crisis management, Turkish Airlines once again demonstrated its resilience against hurdles surrounding the aviation and travel industries since the pandemic onset in 2020.

Underscoring its position as a leader in the global market, Turkish Airlines not only surpassed its own load factors, but it also outperformed many other carriers in the industry. While global international airline capacity in the second quarter of 2023 was 12% below that of 2019, according to data published by airline data provider OAG, Turkish Airlines was among one of the few airlines in the industry to exceed its 2019 international capacity by 29%.

Turkish Airlines, awarded the title of “Most Sustainable Flag Carrier Airline” by World Finance, also has set a strategic goal to become a Carbon-Neutral Airline by 2050. The airline stands out for its voluntary carbon offsetting platform CO2mission, the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), implementation of in-flight sustainable products, waste management practices, and the sustainable travel experience provided to its passengers.

With our young fleet of 388 aircraft, Turkish Airlines flies to more countries than any other airline. Our mission is to connect not only countries and continents, but also lives divided by distances.

Our network covers 129 countries, 335 cities, and 340 airports. Our domestic network in Turkiye includes 51 cities and 53 destinations. We fly to 9 countries, 23 cities, and 23 airports in the Americas, including our newest destination, Seattle. We serve 22 countries, 45 cities, and 46 airports in Asia with the recent additions of Cebu and Bukhara. With new flights to Tivat and Bergamo, we now offer access to 43 countries, 118 cities, and 120 airports in Europe. Moreover, we fly to 41 countries, 62 cities, and 62 airports in Africa with the addition of Juba, and 13 countries, 36 cities, and 36 airports in the Middle East.

We will continue expanding our network to bring people together in keeping with our strategic vision. Find out more here.