Barcelona: Turkey's national carrier, Turkish Airlines, signed a contract here on Monday for a three-season sponsorship of one of the world's most successful football teams, Barcelona.
At a press conference to announce the agreement, Temel Kotil, CEO of Turkish Airlines, said the sponsorship is another success on the way towards becoming a global brand.
Turkish Airlines will shell out 7.7 million euros (Dh41.11 million) for the right to place its logos on the billboards at Barcelona's home stadium, Camp Nou, and all other locations where the team plays.
Turkish Airlines will also carry out related promotions and media events and fly the Spanish club's players to their tournaments.
Barcelona is well-known in the UAE since the team won the Fifa Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi last December, to carry on a winning streak of six victories in a single year.
Ambition
For Turkish Airlines the deal underlines its ambition to establish its brand as one of the biggest carriers on routes between the Middle East and Europe, Kotil said.
Turkish Airlines is the largest carrier in Southern Europe and one of the few worldwide that managed to grow during the financial crisis that hit the aviation sector hard, he added.
Passenger numbers of Turkish Airlines were up 11 per cent to 25.1 million in 2009, according to official figures released by the company on January 13.
However, growth was slightly below the company's target of 26.8 million. Passenger load factor — the number of sold tickets in relation to available seats — fell around three per cent to 70.9 per cent.
This is attributed to a fleet expansion in 2009, after Turkish Airlines doubled capacity on long-haul fleets.
Turkish Airlines became a member of the world's largest airline network, Star Alliance, in 2007.
The airline has a strong presence in the Middle East and connects all capitals and many large cities of the region, including Baghdad, with its hub in Istanbul.
In the UAE, Turkish Airlines flies to Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
Altogether, the airline currently has a fleet of 134 aircraft and serves 156 destinations.
Turkish Airlines' stock rose 0.9 per cent at the Istanbul stock exchange on Monday after the sponsoring announcement.
In 2009, the airline was the biggest gainer in share value of all listed airlines worldwide as its stock rose 425 per cent, reflecting solid traffic growth and profits and as a result of pursuing an aggressive expansion plan.
The plan concentrates on the Asia-Pacific region. By 2012, Turkish Airlines aims to handle 40 million passengers annually.
