THY aims to be 1st Turkish firm among top 100 global brands

Turkish Airlines wants to become the first Turkish company among the world’s 100 most valuable brands, and potentially the first airline to reach that ranking.

Chief Executive Ahmet Olmuştur said the carrier would pursue value-driven growth alongside expansion in passenger volume. He described brand building as a long-term process centered on the passenger experience. Turkish Airlines has identified about 122 points of contact, from its website and airport check-in to boarding, the flight itself, baggage delivery and later customer relations.

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We’ve created some 122 touchpoints to interact with passengers, starting from visiting our website and continuing with the check-in and boarding at the airport, as well as with in-flight experience, baggage delivery, and other subsequent customer relations processes, these make up integral parts of customer experience and are the most important criteria in our strategy

The carrier has held the title of Türkiye’s most valuable brand for nine consecutive years. Its valuation reached a record $2.9 billion last year. To strengthen its position internationally, the airline is developing a Premium Economy product with more reclining seats, additional legroom, improved in-flight dining and extra Miles&Smiles loyalty benefits. It is targeting 2029 for a broad rollout while reassessing its fleet.

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We will offer passenger seats with a greater recline angle and more legroom, alongside an enhanced in-flight dining experience and additional benefits through the Miles&Smiles loyalty program

Turkish Airlines also began a tender process in July to acquire regional aircraft, with integration expected in the second half of 2028. Olmuştur said the additional planes would help bring 100 to 140 daily passengers to Istanbul and connect them through Istanbul Airport to destinations across the airline’s network. The carrier is also planning to increase its number of long-range, high-capacity aircraft, focusing on models with about 400 seats.

The airline said its Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleets have the world’s highest operational efficiency in 2025 and 2026. One A350, registered as TC-LGP, recorded an average daily flight duration of 17 hours and 20 minutes last year. Olmuştur said the airline would continue to focus on safety, maintenance and operational standards while expanding its routes.

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The fleet expansion will allow connecting a daily passenger count of 100-140 to Istanbul and transport our passengers to other destinations in our flight network via the megacity, thereby strengthening the importance of the IGA Istanbul Airport as a leading hub

Turkish Airlines attracted 1.2 million first-time passengers over the past year. Its Asian network is also growing, with flights to Chengdu scheduled to begin on Nov. 11, alongside existing services of 14 weekly flights each to Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

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We aim to ensure the effective use of our aircraft by maintaining the highest standards of safety, maintenance, and operational requirements