Turkish Airlines to offer laptops to passengers affected by electronics ban
Turkish Airlines (THY) Chairman İlker Aycı has said that the Turkish flag carrier was considering handing out laptops to economy and business class passengers, if requested.
Aycı was speaking to Turkish TV station Habertürk, where he shed light on various issues experienced by THY, following a U.S. and U.K. ban on electronic devices in flight cabins.
He said passengers who hand over their laptops will be provided with a laptop onboard.
Calling the electronic device ban unreasonable and unacceptable, Aycı said, it creates a great deal of commercial inequality and discrimination in practice, even though it was not the main goal.
Claiming that THY reservations in April and May are still rising, Aycı said, "Providing Wi-Fi and laptops to those who hand over their laptops in the economy and business class is on our agenda. We will do so if requested. Transit passengers are very important to us. The ban will not last long."
Attending Habertürk's Airport program, the THY chairman said they had to deal with some unprecedented events and crises last year and explained how the company managed to navigate its way out of the turbulence, following almost 15 years of continuous growth without any significant crises.
Pointing out market share as one of most important factors in measuring the value of a company, Aycı said, "We have increased our global market share of 1.9 to 2 in 2016. In a year when we experienced anything and everything unexpected and the extraordinary, we managed to cap our market share at 2 percent."
Regarding THY's past, present and future, Aycı said, 2016 was a difficult year with some of its consequences still affecting 2017. However, this year 43 new aircrafts will be added to THY's fleet, and they will be looking to outperform 2015, when they had added 38 new aircrafts and posted a record profit of $1 billion.
"In 2016, we were caught up in a perfect storm, first the airport attack and then the coup attempt. We have experienced a period where events impossible to fit in one year, did fit in a year," Aycı said.
Given the numerical successes or even shortcomings it was a proud year for THY, he said.
Aycı was speaking to Turkish TV station Habertürk, where he shed light on various issues experienced by THY, following a U.S. and U.K. ban on electronic devices in flight cabins.
He said passengers who hand over their laptops will be provided with a laptop onboard.
Calling the electronic device ban unreasonable and unacceptable, Aycı said, it creates a great deal of commercial inequality and discrimination in practice, even though it was not the main goal.
Claiming that THY reservations in April and May are still rising, Aycı said, "Providing Wi-Fi and laptops to those who hand over their laptops in the economy and business class is on our agenda. We will do so if requested. Transit passengers are very important to us. The ban will not last long."
Attending Habertürk's Airport program, the THY chairman said they had to deal with some unprecedented events and crises last year and explained how the company managed to navigate its way out of the turbulence, following almost 15 years of continuous growth without any significant crises.
Pointing out market share as one of most important factors in measuring the value of a company, Aycı said, "We have increased our global market share of 1.9 to 2 in 2016. In a year when we experienced anything and everything unexpected and the extraordinary, we managed to cap our market share at 2 percent."
Regarding THY's past, present and future, Aycı said, 2016 was a difficult year with some of its consequences still affecting 2017. However, this year 43 new aircrafts will be added to THY's fleet, and they will be looking to outperform 2015, when they had added 38 new aircrafts and posted a record profit of $1 billion.
"In 2016, we were caught up in a perfect storm, first the airport attack and then the coup attempt. We have experienced a period where events impossible to fit in one year, did fit in a year," Aycı said.
Given the numerical successes or even shortcomings it was a proud year for THY, he said.