Turkish Airlines is looking to increase flights to India: Umit Develi

Interview with Umit Develi, Vice President, Asia & Far East, Turkish Airlines
2024-11-23
/
/ New Delhi
Turkish Airlines is looking to increase flights to India
Turkish Airlines is looking to increase flights to India: Umit Develi

Umit Develi, Vice President, Asia & Far East, Turkish Airlines

With increasing demand in India for travel to Türkiye and beyond, Turkish Airlines is looking to enhance frequencies to India, Umit Develi, Vice President, Asia & Far East, tells India Outbound in an interview. Develi adds that the codeshare agreement with IndiGo has been effective in expanding the connectivity to numerous parts of India.
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How has the Indian market performed for you so far this year and how does it compare with 2023?

India is one of the most important markets in the Asian region. Our India flight network includes New Delhi, to which we first flew in 2003 and Mumbai to which we have been flying since 2006.

Türkiye has seen a remarkable surge in tourism from India this year. In the first six months of 2024, the number of Indian visitors reached 1,64,373 representing a 33.2 pc increase compared to the same period in 2023. Several regions and cities in Türkiye have seen a notable increase in Indian tourists. Istanbul, renowned for its historical landmarks, vibrant culture, and unique gastronomic experiences, remains a top destination.

As Türkiye’s flag carrier, we increased our capacity in terms of available seat kilometres compared to that of 2023. As of June 2024, Turkish Airlines carried 40.6 million passengers, achieving an increase of 4.8 pc compared to same period in 2023.

Additionally, during the period from January to June 2024, international to international passenger carried increased by 7.8 pc to 15.2 million from 14.1 million. Our available seat kilometres increased from 110.8 billion to 122.1 billion during the same period, reflecting a 10.2 pc growth.

How was the recent collaboration of Turkish Airlines with OTOAI?

OTOAI, India’s leading outbound tour operators’ association, is committed to promoting international travel from India. The collaboration reflects a shared commitment towards facilitating meaningful exchanges within the travel industry, further strengthening ties between India and Türkiye.

India has emerged as a pivotal market for the Turkish tourism sector witnessing a consistent surge in Indian tourists annually. The partnership with OTOAI furthers the connect between India and Türkiye and allows Türkiye to cater Indian travellers, fostering deeper cultural exchanges and enriching experiences. The endeavour was aimed at strengthening partnerships within the Indian travel trade fraternity, enabling them to gain first-hand experience of everything Türkiye offers as a destination.

How is your codeshare with IndiGo delivering?

As part of our ongoing partnership with IndiGo through codeshare agreements, we are broadening our coverage to encompass additional routes. Passengers can now conveniently access routes in India such as Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Chennai via Delhi and Mumbai, further strengthening our commitment to providing extensive travel options for our valued passengers.

Due to its geographical location, Türkiye is undoubtedly a very important destination for Indian passengers as we connect them to other destinations. Our collaboration with IndiGo offers more options to Indians travelling to the North America and Europe.

Additionally, through our collaboration, IndiGo has added new international routes to cities like Helsinki, Stockholm, Oslo and several cities in the United States via Istanbul. We believe our collaboration will continue to be beneficial for both the airlines and travellers.

Will you open new routes in India?

We understand that India’s aviation sector is growing, and airlines are expanding their routes to meet the demand for international travel. A huge population and a big country like India deserve more air transportation. As per an Air Travel Trends report by India Brand Equity Foundation, the Indian aviation sector has been experiencing great growth over the past decade, and thus, now sits as the world’s third-largest domestic aviation market. Furthermore, India is projected to be the fourth-largest global spender by 2030.

In line with this, Turkish Airlines is working closely with the Indian government to potentially increase the number of flights between Türkiye and India. Currently, we operate 14 weekly flights, but we are aiming to offer more options for travellers.

We are evaluating the possibility of increasing flight frequencies in the near future. This initiative aligns with our goal to provide more comprehensive travel options for passengers in India and beyond.

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