For many years, Turkish Airlines looked on wistfully as rival airlines from the Gulf States took the world by storm and dominated the market in the region with an iron grip. However, that could now be about to change as the creation of the new airport in Istanbul is all set to open up a huge opportunity for Turkish Airlines and could be just the tonic that the airline needs in order to become a major player in the airline businesses in the region. Istanbul, the capital of Turkey, is served by the Ataturk Airport but the creation of the new airport is going to see a massive increase in the number of passengers that the city handles annually. The President of Turkey, Tayyip Erdogan is committed to massive infrastructural projects, and the government has spent $8 billion on this new airport.
According to the Turkish government, the new airport will be able to service a staggering 90 million passenger on a yearly basis, and it has been forecast that the figure is going to double within eight years. Once that happens, it will become the world’s busiest airport and much of the traffic is going to be handled by Turkish Airlines. Cahit Turhan, who is the Transport Minister of Turkey, stated, “Istanbul Airport will rise to second place in terms of passenger numbers it serves in around five years. When all phases are complete, Istanbul Airport will sit in the leader’s chair.”
The airport is going to be opened on Sunday and presents a massive opportunity for Turkish Airlines to grow at a breakneck pace in the years to come. The smaller size of the Ataturk Airport hamstrung the airline in terms of its growth targets, but the government now wants to turn Istanbul into one of the biggest aviation hubs in the region. The fact that Istanbul is located in an easy distance of Africa, Asia and mainland Europe makes it an incredible opportunity for Turkish Airlines, and it seems they are all set to cash in on this. The airline has already started its plans on expansion as it is all set to fly many more flights from the new airport. Turkish Airlines has decided to raise its fleet size considerably over the next half a decade and is all set to challenge the likes of Qatar Airways, Etihad and the Emirates for aviation supremacy in the region.