Turkish Airlines talks growth, Canadian plans & travel agents

Following a strong 2017, Turkish Airlines is looking ahead to another year of growth in Canada and beyond.

PAX caught up with Osman Sahan, Turkish Airlines’ general manager for Montreal, to learn more about the carrier’s future plans.

According to Sahan, Turkish recorded “steady growth” in 2017 with five per cent growth overall, with six per cent growth in Business class, attributable to a number of factors

“Turkish Airlines continues to provide a large network, flying to more countries than any other airline through its use of Istanbul and its advantageous location as a central hub to Asia, India, Africa and Europe,” Sahan said. “We also launched many new destinations in 2017 which helps us reach even more North American passengers coupled with the fact that we increased our frequency of flights from Istanbul to many of our already offered destinations.”

Canadian growth and the role of agents

The airline currently operates nine flights a week to and from Canada; six weekly from Toronto and three weekly from Montreal, connecting to 121 countries and more than 300 destinations worldwide, which amounts to approximately 310,000 annually, Sahan said.

The carrier has also become more visible in the Canadian market through its sponsorship efforts, Sahan said; among Turkish Airlines’ recent involvements are the main sponsorship of the Montreal Jazz Festival since 2015 as well as being the main sponsor for the Ottawa Senators. In the U.S. and internationally, Sahan said the brand has gained visibility through its ‘5 Senses’ campaign with Dr. Oz, which recently launched during the 2018 Super Bowl.

Osman Sahan

While Toronto and Montreal remain the carrier’s main Canadian markets, growth is also taking place in Western Canada and with most flights currently at capacity, increased frequency will be required to continue accommodating the growing number of passengers.

“We primarily carry passengers from Toronto and Montreal, but we also have many passengers flying from Halifax, Quebec City, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver,” he said. “Our main concern is how to service Canadian with added flight frequency. Our Canadian flights are largely at capacity. Any increase in flights granted by aviation authorities from Canada would be a great benefit to our current and potential passengers, Turkish Airlines and the Canadian travel community.”

And in Canada, Sahan told PAX that Turkish’s relationship with the travel agency community is “vital” in filling seats.

“For us, a passenger’s relationship with Turkish Airlines starts at the moment of first intention to travel and never ends,” he said. “We want our passengers to have the best possible travel experience and this objective requires a strong partnership with our agencies and their agents. We continuously improve our systems in order to make operations easier for them and we provide them with key insights to our market including seasonal and other strategies. In short, the relationship with our agencies is a key component to our overall success.

Expansion from Istanbul

Looking ahead, Sahan said that Istanbul New Airport, currently under construction and expected to see between 150 million and 200 million annual passengers after opening this October, will be key to any of Turkish’s future expansion plans. The airline has recently announced several new routes in Africa and the Middle East, including Freetown, Sierra Leone; Samarkand, Uzbekistan; Aqaba and Amman, Jordan and Moroni, Comoros.

“Istanbul is a natural hub as once a passenger reaches Istanbul, it is easy to reach so many other countries. More than 60 foreign capitals may be accessed in Europe, Middle-East, North and Central Asia and East Africa with narrow body range aircraft.

“There are many opportunities for Turkish Airlines resulting from the Istanbul New Airport. This will be one of the largest airport in the world and will have increased airfield availability to provide Turkish Airlines even more departures and arrival opportunities. Turkish Airlines would be able to make connections shorter and increase overall flight frequency.”