TURKISH Airlines, the national carrier and the best airline of Europe for the fifth year consecutively, is globally planning to grow its capacity by 21% in 2016, building upon its spectacular growth of the last decade. It continues to expand in Saudi Arabia as well by adding new routes, as part of its global and regional growth strategies. To support this growth, the airline will expand its fleet from 299 aircraft at 2015 end to 339 at 2016 end. Being No. 1 airline, operating in more than 280 destinations in 113 countries and flying to more countries than any other airlines in the world, Turkish Airlines carried approximately 61.2 million passengers in 2015 and aiming to carry 72.4 million passengers in 2016. In Saudi Arabia, Turkish Airlines is operating in seven destinations including Jeddah, Riyadh, Madinah, Dammam, Yanbu, Taif and Qassim. The airline recently launched SAW (Sabiha Gokcen Airport, in Anatolian side of Istanbul) flights by seven weekly flights from Jeddah, Riyadh and four weekly flights from Madinah. Muhammed Bilal Doner, general manager of Turkish Airlines in Jeddah, said: "New destinations are in the offing and the airline will very soon start operating direct flights from Jeddah, Riyadh and Madinah to Trabzon and Ankara." "Turkish Airlines has been operating in Jeddah for 37 years in 1979. Since then, we have succeeded to inaugurate six more destinations and caught tremendous growth over the years, distinguished by the services and products offered to our customers. All these developments are indicating the importance we attribute to KSA market and our Saudi brothers and sisters. We are seeking to inaugurate other destinations in the Kingdom," Doner added. The new under-construction airport in Istanbul, which will increase the annual passenger capacity to 150-million, is expected to become one of the biggest in the world and the biggest air transfer hub in Europe as well. In order to cope with the growth and capacity increase, the airline ordered new aircrafts by recently signing landmark deals with both Boeing and Airbus for remarkable purchases. "Turkish Airlines will continue to grow with the support of its partners and passengers globally without making concession in quality level and providing them the best experience both on air and ground," Doner concluded
