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Turkey becoming the biggest connection to international travel
The growing airline industry has seen a shift in consumer travel patterns from traditionally using Europe as a connection destination, towards Eastern Europe and the Middle East becoming more preferable connection points. This shift can be attributed to Eastern Europe's geographical location, which enables passengers who travel via this destination to reach fifty countries in less than five hours.
Kenan Ince
This is according to Kenan Ince, General Manager for Turkish Airlines' Cape Town branch, who says that the airline's most recent online ticket sales statistics indicate a 5% year-on-year increase in online bookings for South African travellers with Istanbul being among the most popular destinations.
He points to the 2014 TripAdvisor survey, which ranked Istanbul as the most popular destination in the world. "We have seen an increase in business and leisure travellers to Istanbul and believe that there are two main factors are driving the influx."
Firstly, Ince points to the currency in Turkey, which has remained affordable for travellers since the introduction of the Turkish new lira (TRY) in 2005. "For most tourists from developing countries, Turkey remains an affordable destination. Day-to-day costs such as meals and transport are on par or very similar to the cost of living in developing countries such as South Africa."
Secondly, Ince says that the airline has seen a significant increase in travellers traveling via Istanbul to their final destinations. "The country's geographical location places it in an ideal position to become the global hub of air travel."
He adds that as a result of growing passenger numbers, Turkish Airlines has been experiencing double-digit growth over the past 10 years. "We have been operating from the Atatürk Airport in Istanbul since 1933, but the facility is now at capacity. The airline has thus started using a second airport in Istanbul, Sabiha Gökçen, to cater for the increasing demand. The world's biggest airport located in Arnavutköy, which is estimated to be functional by mid-2018, will offer a third airport for Turkish Airlines to operate from, and it set to further fuel the growth of the company."
Dr Temil Kotil, Chief Executive Officer of Turkish Airlines, says that the airline is one of the fastest growing airlines in the world and well placed to hit 120 million passengers and 450 aircrafts by the year 2023.
