DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Turkish Airlines, the national carrier of Turkey, continues to sustain momentum as one of the world’s fastest growing airlines, having served 48.3 million passengers in 2013, a 23.6 percent increase from 39 million in 2012.
The global carrier connects passengers to more countries than any other airline, and last year added 25 new destinations, raising the network to 243 destinations across 104 countries.
The number of passengers on domestic routes increased by 26.1 per cent and on international routes by 21.9 per cent. International Business and Comfort Class passengers also increased by 23.1 per cent, while international-to-international transfer passengers increased by 29.2 per cent in 2013.
Turkish Cargo, a subsidiary of Turkish Airlines, also witnessed substantial growth with a total of 565.338 tonnes carried in 2013 representing a 20.1 per cent increase from 470.636 tonnes carried in 2012. A new Dubai office was opened in 2013 to accommodate the increase in demand for cargo services from the UAE.
In its 80th anniversary year, Turkish Airlines was voted once again as ‘Europe’s Best Airline’ for the third consecutive year at the 2013 Skytrax awards. As a Star Alliance member, Turkish Airlines operates the fourth largest flight network in the world with a fleet of 233 aircraft.
