Turkey: Top executive says THY fourth biggest in Europe

Turkish Airlines (THY) Executive Board Chairman Hamdi Topcu has said that THY was currently the fourth biggest aviation company

We aim to be among top three aviation companies of Europe, Topcu told AA on Saturday. Noting that THY was serving passengers with its 177 planes, Topcu said that THY was flying to 47 airports across Turkey. Citizens prefer to use airway when highway travels take longer than six hours, he noted.

Turkey targets to be among top ten economies of the world by 2023, and THY also targets to be among top ten aviation companies of the world, Topcu said. We estimate that the number of THY passengers will reach 35 million by the end of 2011, said Topcu, adding that they had so far received 35 of 91 planes they ordered.

Noting that THY had a flight network which was parallel with the foreign policy Turkey conducted, Topcu said that THY was the first company that flied to Libya after civil war.

THY also initiated flights to Mosul city of Iraq for the first time, said Topcu, adding that THY was also flying to Basra, Baghdad, Najaf and Suleymaniyah cities of Iraq.

Topcu said that THY connected Turkey’s surrounding countries to 146 destinations via Istanbul.

5 November 2011
SOURCE: HURRIYET DAILY NEWS