National flag carrier Turkish Airlines (THY) is set to recruit 2,600 new cabin attendants and 1,200 new pilots in 2023, its General Manager Bilal Ekşi said Saturday.

Speaking at the Türkiye Nation Branding Forum, organized by the Presidency's Directorate of Communications, Ekşi touched upon THY's achievements, maintaining that the company would continue "to fly high."

In 2003, the number of THY cabin crew was only 1,579, the official said, noting: "With the number that has grown eight times since then, we have 12,841 cabin crew members working currently."

And while the company was employing 651 pilots in 2003, this has also grown approximately ninefold to reach 5,793 at the moment, he added.

Highlighting that the carrier rose to third place globally while flying to 129 different countries and 340 different destinations around the world, Ekşi noted that the company is looking for growth of over 10% in 2023.

The company manager added that while THY had only 65 aircraft in its fleet back in 2003, this number also stands at 390 now.

"This is the result of our strategy of transitioning from local to global, and having a strong network and a strong fleet," Ekşi appreciated.

Pointing out that THY has grown by 10% every year since 2003 and that it is the second-best-known airline brand worldwide, Ekşi noted that the carrier is predicted to close the year by serving around 74 million passengers.

Meanwhile, the flag carrier targets at hosting 80 million passengers for 2023.