Abu Dhabi: Turkish Airlines is eyeing the US, Europe, and Africa for expansion, with plans to increase frequencies of flights to various destinations and add new routes, according to Mehmet Akalin, general manager of the airline in Abu Dhabi.
Speaking to Gulf News, Akalin said the airline was targeting an increase in its total passenger traffic to reach over 50 million passengers by the end of 2015, marking a rise from 2014’s figure of 47 million.
Akalin was speaking on Thursday at the opening of Turkish Airlines’ new office in Abu Dhabi, where he discussed the UAE market saying that passenger traffic from the UAE is expected to grow four per cent this year — the same percentage increase as last year.
Turkish Airlines currently operates four weekly flights from Abu Dhabi to Istanbul, and 14 weekly flights from Dubai to the Turkish city.
As for the outlook, the general manager said the airline was hoping to be upgraded from its current four-star ranking by Skytrax to a five-star ranking in the next two years.
Turkish Airlines is also backing future plans with an increase in its aircraft fleet to reach 300 by the end of this year, and over 400 aircrafts by 2020.
Asked about the impact of oil prices on business, Akalin said that the overall aviation industry is expected to see a rise in revenues later this year. However, this could be challenged by the depreciation in euro.
The new office in the capital was inaugurated by Mustafa Bilgen, the Turkish ambassador to the UAE, who discussed bilateral relations between the UAE and Turkey, saying he expected to see growth in trade.
“Trade relations are growing between both countries, and the volume in the last few years came to about $9 billion. It fluctuates between $8.5-10 billion. Gold is one of the main trade products … and tourism industry is also developing on both sides,” he said.
