The Americas is a crucial region for many airlines, including Turkish Airlines, as part of their network strategy and development. While the United States is often seen as the most significant market, Canada to the north and Latin America to the south also offer many desirable international destinations. In a recent interview with Simple Flying, Ahmet Bolat, Chair of the Board and Executive Committee at Turkish Airlines, emphasized the importance of the Americas as a pillar of the carrier’s long-haul strategy and its plans for diversification as the fleet grows.
A Growing Market for Turkish Airlines
Turkish Airlines currently serves three Canadian destinations from its main hub at the new Istanbul Airport (IST). Toronto (YYZ) is the most frequently served with six weekly flights on a Boeing 777, while Montreal (YUL) has three flights split between the 777 and Airbus A350. The third Canadian destination is Vancouver (YVR), served three times a week on a 777 with a flight time of approximately 12 hours. Bolat states that the airline will further strengthen its position in North America with more frequencies and potentially new gateways in the US and Canada, demonstrating their focus on expanding their presence in the region. Currently, Turkish Airlines operates 26 destinations in the Americas and plans to explore new routes in underserved parts of South and Central America.
Nearly 1,400 Flights to the US This Month
The US is a significant market for Turkish Airlines, with a total of 1,386 scheduled flights to and from the country in October. These flights offer a combined 447,302 seats and 2,582,757,554 available seat miles (ASMs). New York JFK Airport is the top destination with up to four daily flights from Istanbul. Bolat explains that the airline takes a data-driven and strategic approach when adding new routes, analyzing passenger demand, connectivity potential, and overall economic and cultural ties. This approach has been successful with destinations such as Los Angeles (LAX) and Chicago (ORD), both of which have up to three daily flights from Istanbul this month. Only three US routes are served less than daily, with Denver (DEN) having 20 rotations, Newark (EWR) with 27, and Boston (BOS) with 30. Other routes, including Detroit (DTW), Seattle (SEA), Atlanta (ATL), Houston (IAH), Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), Miami (MIA), and Washington (IAD), are served once or twice daily.
Diversification in Central and South America
In Latin America, Turkish Airlines has 405 scheduled flights for October, with 129,707 seats and 682,986,100 ASMs. The carrier serves several Latin American destinations, including Bogota (BOG), Buenos Aires (EZE), Cancun (CUN), Caracas (CCS), Mexico City (MEX), Panama City (PTY), Santiago (SCL), and Sao Paulo (GRU).