Turkish Airlines Chairman on Soft Power, Fleet Growth, and the 2033 Vision
Photo Caption: A TurkIsh Airlines Airbus A350-900. Vincenzo Pace/aerovincenzo.com
Skift Take
Turkish Airlines isn’t just building an airline – it’s building influence. Ahead of the company's centenary in 2033, the carrier is refining its soft power playbook.
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The airline, 49% owned by Turkey’s sovereign wealth fund, has made no secret of its global ambitions. It already flies to more countries than any other airline, but it isn’t stopping there. “We aim to reach a fleet of over 810 aircraft by 2033,” Chairman Ahmet Bolat told Skift. If realized, this would build upon the 480 planes the company operates today.
A massive order of up to 350 aircraft from Airbus, announced in December 2023, is one of the centerpieces of this expansion.
Yet Bolat’s broader message isn’t growth for growth’s sake. Despite its lofty 2033 goals, the airline is actually dialing down its growth trajectory.
“We are not going to grow as we did before. In the past, we grew around 13% [annually
