Istanbul Airport drives Turkish Airlines’ expansion plans toward its centennial

Geographically, Turkey’s position at the intersection of Europe, Asia, and Africa enables shorter connecting times across various markets. In an interview with Simple Flying's Tom Boon, Prof. Ahmet Bolat, Chairman of the Board at Turkish Airlines, said: “Istanbul’s unique location enables us to capture a significant share of global connecting traffic, with nearly 60% of our international guests transferring through our hub. This hub advantage not only supports the scaling of our operations but also ensures that incremental capacity is efficiently absorbed.”

The scale of Istanbul Airport has enabled Turkish Airlines to serve both major cities and secondary markets that are often overlooked by other carriers. Its route map covers regions such as Europe, North America, East Asia, Australia, and parts of the Middle East and Africa that many European airlines avoid due to demand or safety concerns.

Expansion continues in established regions as well; for example, Turkish Airlines recently launched a new daily nonstop service from Istanbul to Seville in Europe. In North America, it is considering adding routes to cities like Minneapolis (where service was planned for spring 2025 but has not yet started), Charlotte, Philadelphia, and Orlando.

This approach allows Turkish Airlines to access markets with limited direct international flights by leveraging Istanbul’s strategic reach. Bolat stated: "We continuously evaluate underserved regions where Turkish Airlines can add value, while also strengthening our presence in established markets by increasing frequencies…Each new route is carefully selected to enhance our global network and to support our vision of connecting more countries than any other airline. Even in challenging markets, if we see clear opportunities to create value for our guests and expand global connectivity, we are willing to invest and grow."

The move from Ataturk Airport—where capacity had become constrained—to the new Istanbul Airport on April 6th, 2019 allowed Turkish Airlines room for substantial expansion. Since then it has added long-haul destinations such as Melbourne and Sydney (its first Australian services), along with Denver and Santiago.

Looking forward, Phnom Penh in Cambodia and Bissau in Guinea-Bissau are expected additions according to Bolat. The fleet currently consists of about 497 aircraft based on ch-aviation data; the airline anticipates surpassing the 500 mark before year-end 2025 as part of its longer-term goal toward an eventual fleet size of around 800 planes by its hundredth anniversary.