Turkey's flag carrier added Thursday Mexico City and Cancun, two of Mexico's largest cities, to its already expansive flight network.

It is part of Turkish Airlines (THY) drive to rapidly expand its coverage in North America and further secure its position as the airline that flies to the most number of destinations in the world.

The first Istanbul-Mexico City-Cancun-Istanbul flight, coded TK181, took off in the early hours yesterday. With the new additions, THY's number of destinations in North America has reached 19.

The capital of Mexico, Mexico City is a major financial center in Latin America, while Cancun is a famous touristic city with some 4 million annual visitors. The flights are expected to enhance ties between Turkey and Mexico in the upcoming period.

"We say hello to another new country. We are making our first flight to Mexico today. We are further strengthening our position as the airline flying to the most number of countries in the world," said THY CEO Bilal Ekşi on his social media account.

Founded in 1933 with a five aircraft in its fleet, THY currently has over 340 aircraft, including passenger and cargo planes. It flies to 315 destinations around the world. Last year, the company carried 75.2 million passengers with a seat occupancy rate of 82%. This year it aims to reach 80 million passengers on domestic and international routes.