Just 20 years ago, Turkish Airlines had 60 aircraft in its fleet. Today it is the ninth largest airline in the world by fleet size, operating a total of 391 aircraft and flying to more destinations worldwide than any other carrier.
Turkey's flag carrier will soon receive its 400- th plane — in the same year that the country will celebrate its 100th anniversary. The airline's fleet is expected to reach 427 aircraft by the end of 2023.
In 2003, “Turkish” flew to 53 countries, 104 cities and 106 destinations. Thanks to fleet expansion, the network now includes 129 countries, 337 cities and 342 destinations. The 100th aircraft was purchased in 2006, the 200th — in 2012, 300th — in 2016. By the 100th anniversary of the republic, there will be 400 aircraft.
In 2022, Turkish Airlines carried 71.8 million passengers, reaching 96.7% of the pre-pandemic level. It is expected that by 2023 this figure will increase to 88 million — a significant increase from 10.4 million passengers served by the airline in 2003.
The airline's cargo operations also show a positive. If in 2003 the airline transported just over 100,000 tons of cargo, by 2022 this figure has grown to 1.6 million tons. Thanks to the new cargo complex of the airline, its annual throughput will soon reach 4 million tons.
The most common narrow-body aircraft in the Turkish Airlines fleet is the Boeing 737–800, of which there are 84. Airbus A330-300 — 37 aircraft, followed by 33 Boeing 777-300ERs.
The average age of Turkish Airlines aircraft is only 8.9 years. The carrier's current fleet renewal strategy will ensure that this trend continues.
In addition to receiving its 400th aircraft, there will be another significant milestone for Turkish Airlines this year. The carrier has become the official sponsor of the UEFA Champions League, and in June 2023, Istanbul will host the final of the competition. To celebrate the partnership, the airline will soon unveil a special livery on one of its Airbus A330-300 aircraft.