Turkish Airlines flew 4M+ passengers in Germany in 2017

FRANKFURT, Germany

Turkey's national flag carrier Turkish Airlines (THY) carried 4.11 million passengers across Germany in 2017, according to an airline official.

"In 2017 almost 4.11 million passengers travelled by Turkish Airlines and its partner in Germany. Our occupancy rate in average in Germany was 79 percent," up 5 percent from 2016, Muhammet Ensar Karabulut, Turkish Airlines manager in Frankfurt, told Anadolu Agency on Friday.

Karabulut added that Turkish Airlines' Frankfurt operations carried almost 630,000 passengers, with an occupancy rate of 82 percent, up 6 percent from 2016.

Stating that Turkish Airlines’ capacity in Germany will be enhanced on March 25 when it adds a second wide-bodied aircraft (A330) to its fleet, he said: "With this capacity increase, we aim to raise our passenger figures at least 5 percent in 2018."

Karabulut said that Turkish Airlines now has three direct flights a week from Turkey’s capital Ankara to Frankfurt.

"As you know Turkish Airlines started direct flights from Ankara to Frankfurt on Oct. 29, to Vienna and Berlin on Oct. 30, and to Paris on Oct. 31," he said.

The Frankfurt to Ankara service -- offered on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday -- had an average 82 percent occupancy rate in 2017.

Turkish Airlines currently has more than 330 aircraft (passenger and cargo), flying to over 300 destinations in 120 countries.

The airline was named “Best Airline in Europe” by Skytrax for six years in a row from 2011 to 2016.

Reporting by Abdulselam Durdak:Writing by Can Erozden