Turkish Airlines has its sights set on ambitious targets to cement its market position. It aims to have 53 new destinations by the end of the year – and Windhoek flights are among those planned.
Other African destinations in the pipeline are Luanda, Lusaka and Juba.
The Windhoek flights will be fortuitous for Namibia, as Qatar Airways has already announced that it will suspend passenger flights to the country from November 23. Air France has also reportedly expressed an interest in providing flights to the destination.
According to its roadshow presentation, Turkish Airlines’ fleet of 429 aircraft currently fly to 291 destinations across 128 countries. In its presentation, the carrier attributed its profitability to a vertical integration strategy that resulted in 40% of the company’s cash outflow being retained within the organisation. This strategy saw the airline generate close to a US$1 billion (R19 billion) profit in 2021.
“By 2023, Turkish Airlines substantially outperformed its pre-pandemic operational and financial performance,” the document states, noting that it had experienced a robust recovery after the initial shock of the pandemic and had significantly increased its market share.
