Türkiye's flag carrier Turkish Airlines (THY) has moved closer to its ambition of becoming the world’s largest international carrier after boosting passenger numbers in the aftermath of the Iran crisis, which impacted its Gulf rivals, the company’s new chair said.
The airline has also increased ticket prices while cutting some routes and costs as it seeks to navigate the industry-wide crisis triggered by the war in the Middle East, THY Chairperson Murat Şeker said in an interview published on Sunday.
The conflict, which started with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, has severely affected energy flows in the region, while also leaving the logistics and aviation industries hit hard.
Yet, while services through major Gulf hubs such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha have been disrupted, Turkish Airlines' Istanbul base has remained fully operational since the conflict erupted. This has allowed it to capture a greater share of the traffic between Europe and Asia and raised hopes it can meet its targets sooner than expected.
“The current situation, it might help us to gain that passenger growth faster,” Şeker told The Financial Times (FT) in his first interview since becoming chair last month.
