President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan hailed Thursday the contribution of Türkiye's flag carrier, Turkish Airlines (THY), to the country's economy, congratulating the company for the accomplishments achieved.
"According to the figures for 2023, Turkish Airlines has contributed $56 billion (TL 1.68 trillion) to our country's economy, with approximately $16 billion in service exports, solidifying its leadership in this field," Erdoğan said in a video message sent to the Turkish Airlines Management Summit, expressing his hope for the success of the summit and wished it to be auspicious.
"In line with our 'Century of Türkiye' vision, we are confidently and decisively moving toward the future. The success level of our country in the aviation sector is steadily rising," he said.
"Turkish Airlines, not only being the most valuable brand in Türkiye but also the airline flying to most countries in the world, is making a name for itself with its contributions to our country's economy," the president added.
At the same time, he expressed they were pleased to see that Antalya, the shining star of world tourism, is "also getting its share from the strong wings of Turkish Airlines."
"I sincerely congratulate all of you, my brothers and sisters, whom I see as the architects behind all these successes achieved through Turkish Airlines," noted Erdoğan.
Turkish Airlines carried 83.4 million passengers last year, posting an annual surge of 16.1%, the company announced earlier this month.
The number of passengers carried on domestic flights soared 19.1% year-over-year to 30.4 million in 2023, according to the data.
At the same time, the flag carrier saw an annual hike of 14.4% on international routes, hitting the 53 million figure from January through December last year.
Erdoğan also emphasized that he considers the order for 350 aircraft announced by Turkish Airlines in the last weeks of the previous year as a meaningful reflection of its future vision, adding: "With these thoughts, I once again greet the Turkish Airlines family, who work to raise our flag higher in the skies. May your skies be clear."
Along with the plans for expanding its fleet, Turkish Airlines has been working on extending its flight network and has recently launched direct flights from Istanbul to Japan's Osaka, while it is also expected to kickstart flights to Australia in upcoming months.
