Turkish Airlines hosts 'Corporate Club Conference'

By Jeyhun Aliyev

ANKARA

Turkey's national flag carrier Turkish Airlines hosted the Turkish Airlines Corporate Club Conference in Istanbul on 17-18 Sept., the company said Tuesday.

The two-day global initiative in the partnership with Global Business Travel Association brought together the industry leaders with 900 participants attending from 71 countries across the international flight network that Turkish Airlines operates.

The conference held under the theme of "Building for the Future" resonated on three levels -- for Turkey as a country, Turkish Airlines as a global flag carrier and for the travel industry, the statement read.

"Building on the recent economic success of our airline, 2018 is a highly significant year for the future of Turkish Airlines with the opening of Istanbul new airport in October," Turkish Airlines Chairman M. Ilker Ayci said.

Calling the new airport as "the new home of Turkish Airlines," Ayci said that it will allow the airlines for greater capacity and increased network.

According to a statement by the company, the Turkish Airlines Corporate Club offers many privileges to its customers with a renewed loyalty program, which provides many time-saving benefits for the business travelers.

Turkish Airlines, founded in 1933, flies to more than 300 destinations in over 120 countries.

By the end of August 2018, the airline had 326 aircraft -- 92 of them wide-body along with 216 narrow-body aircraft and 18 cargo planes.

The first phase of the new Istanbul airport is set to be completed on Oct. 29, according to Turkey's Transport and Infrastructure Minister Cahit Turhan.

Once complete, the new airport will offer flights to more than 300 destinations with an annual passenger capacity of up to 200 million.