Turkish Airlines aims for 20% capacity boost in Asia-Pacific

Türkiye’s flag carrier Turkish Airlines aims to increase flight frequencies in the Asia-Pacific region by up to 20% in the coming years to establish an alternative second corridor between Asia, Australia and Europe by adding second and third flights to key cities.

Murat Seker, board chair at Turkish Airlines, said in an interview with Nikkei Asia that Türkiye’s flag carrier operates an extensive network across 133 countries and 358 destinations. It has added 10 flights to reach 42 weekly services this year as part of efforts to accelerate the air carrier’s expansion in China, with existing traffic rights allowing growth to 49 flights.

Flights to Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou have been increased earlier than planned, while plans are underway to launch flights to Chengdu in November and Urumqi.

Turkish Airlines redirected wide-body capacity to high-demand markets like Japan, China, Australia, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam in the wake of tensions in the Middle East, adding 58 weekly flights and 61 cargo flights. The move helped drive up the air carrier’s second-quarter revenue by 20.5% year-on-year to $7.2 billion, as its passenger revenue jumped 15% and cargo revenue surged 58%.

The air carrier’s total revenue rose 20.8% to $13.1 billion in the first half of the year despite increases in jet fuel prices due to tensions in the Middle East, which added $1.3 billion in costs, with total conflict-related spending reaching around $2.1 billion.

The flag carrier expanded its customer base by around 5% with new passengers while growing its market share by about one percentage point in the second quarter.

At the same time, Asian routes saw their revenue share rise by five percentage points to 32%, surpassing Europe’s 27%, while Asia’s share of total passenger traffic climbed from 10% to 12%. Passenger traffic between Africa and Asia jumped 70%, while traffic between Eastern Europe and Asia increased 40% due to shorter transit via Russian airspace.

Turkish Airlines aims to increase its current 25 weekly flights to Japan via newly acquired traffic rights in Singapore and Vietnam, while Japanese investors cover about 20% of its aircraft leasing needs, having financed over 100 aircraft worth around $9 billion in the past two decades.

The airline also plans to start nonstop flights to Sydney and Melbourne in 2028, driven by expected support from revenue generated by long-haul Premium Economy cabins, according to Nikkei Asia.

The flag carrier is also seeking global joint ventures with potential stakes of 30-50% across Asian and South American operations and cargo, as well as in aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services.