Turkish Airlines Reports 16 Percent Surge in Passenger Traffic

(MENAFN) Turkish Airlines reported a robust 16% year-on-year surge in passenger traffic for March 2026, carrying 7.2 million travelers compared with 6.2 million in the same month a year prior, according to figures submitted to Türkiye's Public Disclosure Platform.

Cabin utilization improved markedly across the board, with the overall passenger load factor climbing 6.1 percentage points to 83.6%. International routes recorded a 5.9-percentage-point gain, reaching a load factor of 83.7%, while domestic services posted an even sharper 8-percentage-point rise to 82.3% — signaling strong demand across both segments.

Capacity expansion kept pace with the traffic surge. Total available seat kilometers (ASK) grew 8.7% to 22.8 billion, up from 20.9 billion in March 2025, reflecting the carrier's continued push to scale operations.

Freight performance also strengthened, with cargo and mail volumes climbing 8.8% to 198,300 tons from 182,200 tons recorded in the prior-year period.

The airline's fleet continued its rapid expansion, growing 11.9% year-on-year to 528 aircraft as of end-March 2026, up from 472 a year earlier. The milestone follows the carrier's delivery of its 500th aircraft, which entered service at the close of 2025 — a landmark moment in the airline's long-term growth strategy.

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