Turkish Airlines Sees 10% Capacity Growth in 2026

Turkish Airlines has announced a robust start to 2026, reporting a 10% year-on-year increase in passenger capacity and an 18.8% surge in cargo operations, attributed to the growing global travel demand and the expansion of the freight market. The airline, along with its subsidiary Ajet Airlines, carried 7.6 million passengers, with available seat kilometers rising to 23.7 billion from 21.5 billion the previous year.

The overall load factor for the airline stood at 84%, with international routes achieving a load factor of 83.7% and domestic operations reaching 87.5%. Additionally, the number of international transit passengers rose from 2.8 million in January 2025 to 3.1 million in January 2026.

The growth reinforces Turkish Airlines' position as a global hub carrier, leveraging Istanbul's geographical location to connect various continents. Cargo and mail operations also saw a volume increase to 178.3 thousand tons during the review month, marking an 18.8% rise compared to the prior year.