Turkish Airlines will launch direct flights from two major German cities to the Mediterranean resort province of Antalya in the upcoming months, the company said yesterday.

In a statement, the Turkish flag carrier said direct flights from Stuttgart and Berlin will start on March 31 and April 3, respectively. The flights, aiming to bring Antalya closer to Europe, will operate twice a week during the summer, the statement said.

Turkish Airlines carried around 75.2 million passengers last year, up 10 percent year-on-year. It had targeted to carry up to 74 million passengers in 2018.

The company has announced that it aims to carry 80 million passengers this year, including 47 million international passengers.

The flag carrier expects an 8 percent of capacity increase in Europe on a yearly basis in 2019. Turkish Airlines, founded in 1933, flies to 306 destinations in 124 countries with its fleet of more than 330 aircraft, including passenger and cargo planes.