Turkish Airlines
Turkish Airlines at a glance
Turkish Airlines serves more countries than any other airline in the world, flying to 350+ destinations from Istanbul Airport, the purpose-built mega-hub that sits within a 3,000-mile radius of more than 60 countries. Founded in 1933, the flag carrier has grown into one of aviation's great connecting machines with a fleet of around 500 aircraft.
The ambition keeps scaling: the 2033 centenary plan targets more than 800 aircraft, with about 85 arriving in 2026 alone and a 2025 agreement covering up to 225 Boeing 737 MAX jets. A sweeping April 2026 management change installed Ahmet Olmustur as CEO to drive the next phase, which includes a new partnership with Southwest Airlines opening the US domestic market.
Fleet
Turkish Airlines operates one of the most diverse fleets in the world, mixing Airbus and Boeing narrowbodies and widebodies, and is taking around 85 new aircraft in 2026 alone.
| Aircraft | Role | Fleet Size |
|---|---|---|
| Airbus A321neo | Short and medium-haul workhorse | ~90 |
| Airbus A350-900 | Long-haul growth aircraft | ~30 |
| Boeing 787-9 | Long-haul workhorse | ~25 |
| Boeing 777-300ER | High-capacity long-haul | ~35 |
Hub & route network
Istanbul Airport, opened in 2018, is the airline's mega-hub and consistently Europe's busiest by flights, purpose-built to connect Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas within a 3,000-mile radius that covers 60+ countries. Turkish serves more countries than any airline on Earth, with Sabiha Gokcen as its second Istanbul base.Alliance & partnerships
A Star Alliance member since 2008, Turkish is expanding partnerships westward, including a new agreement with Southwest Airlines beginning in 2026, and a wide-reaching codeshare with IndiGo in India.Group structure
Turkish Airlines is 49.12% owned by the Turkiye Wealth Fund with the rest publicly traded; the group also operates low-cost subsidiary AJet and holds a stake in Air Albania, with cargo arm Turkish Cargo among the world's largest.Full specifications
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Frequently asked questions
More than any other airline in the world, with 350+ destinations across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas from its Istanbul hub.
Ahmet Olmustur, appointed in April 2026 as part of a broad management overhaul that also brought in a new chairman and CFO.
Around 500 aircraft today, growing toward more than 800 by the airline's 2033 centenary, with roughly 85 deliveries in 2026 alone.