Global aviation giant known for its extensive network and award-winning service, Turkish Airlines (THY) celebrated its 91st anniversary on Monday, continuing its legacy of flying to the most number of countries worldwide with up to 350 destinations.
Starting its journey on May 20, 1933, with only five aircraft, and 24 staff members, including seven pilots, Türkiye’s flag carrier over the years transformed into a major player on the global scene, reaching dozens of destinations across continents.
The number of aircraft went up by one in the next year after its founding, with a passenger capacity of 64.
Proudly flying the national flag it conducted its first international flight in 1947 from Istanbul to Athens.
New international destinations were added in 1951, including Lefkoşa (Nicosia), Beirut and Cairo, with a fleet that increased to 33 aircraft.
In 1956, Turkish Airlines joined the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the global trade association of airlines.
The airline added five Viscount 794 aircraft to its fleet in 1958, ushering in a new era of Turkish aviation history as the airline switched from piston-powered engines to jet engines.
The corporate logo of Turkish Airlines, designed by Mesut Manioğlu in 1959, was inspired by the wild goose, known to make intercontinental flights at altitudes of 9,000 meters and up.
The number of employees of the flag carrier increased from just 30 to over 4,000 in 40 years.
By its 50th anniversary in 1983, Turkish Airlines was carrying 2.5 million passengers every year in the U.S., Europe, the Middle East and East Asia.
A new brand for cargo transportation was established within Turkish Airlines, called Turkish Cargo, at the beginning of 2000.
Domestic flights by Turkish Airlines from Sabiha Gökçen Airport, on Istanbul's Anatolian side were launched in 2005.
The international airline rating firm Skytrax raised the stars awarded to Turkish Airlines to four in 2007 and a year later, AnadoluJet, the sub-brand of Turkish Airlines based in Sabiha Gökçen Airport, started its flights.
Just at the start of the new millennium, in 2000, the airline introduced its popular program Miles&Smiles, providing exclusive privileges, and in 2008, Turkish Airlines joined the global airline confederation, Star Alliance.
Extensive network
In 2011, Skytrax chose Turkish Airlines as Europe’s best airline. Just a year after, Turkish Airlines became the airline flying to the most countries worldwide, reaching 200 destinations, and Skytrax recognized the flag carrier airline’s efforts and rewarded it with awards of "Best Airline in Europe" and "Best Business Class Catering."
The number of destinations of Turkish Airlines reached 264 in 2014, becoming the world’s fourth most-reaching airline.
As Turkish Airlines hosted 500 million passengers by 2015, Skytrax named the flag carrier Europe’s Best Airline for the fifth consecutive time and continued doing so in 2016 and 2017, as well.
Turkish Airlines carried 750 million passengers across the skies by 2018.
The flag carrier changed its uniforms for staff as it moved to Istanbul Airport, which opened in late 2018.
Turkish Airlines became the world’s 10th largest airline with a fleet of 350 aircraft in 2019.
Türkiye’s flag carrier airline received the APEX World Class Award in 2021, which was the first time an airline received the award.
Moreover, the company saw its billionth passenger carried by April 2023, and it was awarded the APEX 5-Star Global Airline award.
While Turkish Airlines had only 65 aircraft in 2002, this figure climbed to 100 in 2006, 200 in 2012, 300 in 2016 and 456 in 2024. The airline is projected to continue expanding its fleet in upcoming years, on the back of a major order with Airbus, involving over 200 aircraft, announced late last year.