More Growth, Increased Profits and Blue Skies Ahead for Turkish Airlines
Times were not always so good for Turkish Airlines as they have been in recent years. The airline reported a gross annual revenue that was more than 4 billion dollars US in 2010 alone. Yet throughout the 70s and 80s the company was plagued with multiple issues that affected their reputation negatively, which included constant flight delays and bad customer service.
The airline also battled some several negative press after seven accidents from 1974 to 1983, along with several other serious events reported. But Turkish Airlines turned their fortunes around in the late 80s, as the government took a stand to influence their future. In fact, Turkish Airlines have seen an abrupt about-face since the turn of the century that has heralded a positive decade of blue skies ahead. There seems to be an increase in passenger flow especially among expatriates. Once they pick good reliable moving company to relocate, then their next move is to estimate relocation expenses, and select Turkish Airlines as their carrier of choice.
October of 2010 saw the announcement that Turkish Airlines will continue to expand their reach during 2011. Obviously, this is wonderful news for this airline that is growing very quickly. The Turkish Ministry of Transport released information that Turkish Airlines will fly to eleven new locations this year. Starting in March, Turkish Airlines will fly to Shiraz, Iran four times a week. As for the US, in early March we’ll see four weekly flights to Los Angeles, California. This is wonderful for going to the United States west coast. Turkish Airlines will also be going to the countries of China, Greece, Spain, France and 3 other locations in Italy. Manchester United, the English soccer team, signed a contract with Turkish Airlines in October of 2010, after intense negotiations. Manchester United will be featured in a TV ad that will present the new concept Turkish Airlines has for business travel. This is an exciting time for both organizations for many reasons. The concept of the adverts is to have some of the team’s most reputable players enjoying their business class experience with Turkish Airlines.
Comfort Class is a new travel concept developed by Turkish Airlines. This class of travel is available on the Boeing 777 planes the company owns. This represents a new level of comfort in flying with seats that are just barely under 46 inches. Passengers basically have four feet of seat available to them for themselves and anything else they have with them on the flight. Boeing 777s are mainly used on long flights, however, because they are large aircraft. Miles earned in the Turkish Airlines Miles and Smiles card can be redeemed for a ticket in Comfort Class or an upgrade to this class. Turkish Airlines has been around for quite a while, but their first years were marked by many issues. This is not an unusual situation for an airline, though, because there are many challenges that need to be resolved. The airline has gone through many changes at all levels from the top on down. This is a company that has clearly learned its lessons and will not repeat the same mistakes, transforming into a strong company that can easily adapt to the environment. This has been a very small peek into what seems to be eventful and exciting times at Turkish Airlines.