Turkey’s flag carrier Turkish Airlines

Turkey’s flag carrier Turkish Airlines, or THY, has been one of the three European airlines that posted increases in passenger boardings in 2009.

THY stood out with a 12.3 percent growth and moved from seventh to fourth place among members of the Association of European Airlines ranked by passengers carried, according to the recently-finalized AEA 2010 traffic data.

“After the USA, Turkey is the most important market outside the European aviation area for European carriers, with passenger flows amounting to more than 25 million per year”, said AEA Secretary General Ulrich Schulte-Strathaus in a statement .

“Istanbul is the ninth-largest hub airport in Europe and, serving a European Capital of Culture in 2010, is set to consolidate its position further this year. We expect significantly more visitors to this beautiful city. Turkey is already a destination for 23 AEA member airlines, all of whom have an interest in minimizing any barriers there might be to accessing this high-achieving market.”

Schulte-Strathaus noted that the ongoing process of creating opportunities between the EU and its major travel-trade partners had largely by-passed this important market.

“We have ‘open skies’ with the USA and Canada, and a comprehensive agreement with Morocco. Traffic will increase if the conditions are right, and that includes reducing administrative burdens for airlines and travellers. This is particularly true, if citizens are encouraged to visit the European Capital of Culture,” he said.

Schulte-Strathaus called on regulators from Turkey and the European Union to discuss ways of further facilitating traffic for the benefit of consumers at both ends of the market between Turkey and the EU.

He said, “the experience of 2009 tells us that the future shape of European aviation will be different to how it has been in the past, and new regulatory structures need to be put in place. For European airlines seeking to regroup and rebuild, a market relatively unaffected by the downturn represents an attractive point of focus.

AEA member airlines are Adria Airways, Aegean Airlines, Aer Lingus, AeroSvit, airBaltic, Air France, Air Malta, Alitalia, Austrian, bmi, British Airways, brussels airlines, Cargolux, Croatia Airlines, Cyprus Airways, Czech Airlines, DHL, Finnair, Iberia, Icelandair, Jat Airways, KLM, LOT, Lufthansa, Luxair, Malev, Montenegro Airlines, Olympic Air, SAS Scandinavian Airlines, SWISS, TAP Portugal, TAROM, TNT Airways, Turkish Airlines, Ukraine International Airlines and Virgin Atlantic Airways.

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