Ahmet Bolat, Chairman of the Board and the Executive Committee of Turkish Airlines (THY), said, "We are considering ordering nearly 600 aircraft. 200 of them will be wide-body and 400 will be narrow-body."
Speaking at the presentation of the refreshed catering menus in "business" and "economy" classes on domestic and international flights, held at Esma Sultan Mansion, Bolat explained that the company was ranked 20th in the 2003 world classification, and that today it is the 3rd largest airline company in the world in terms of seats and kilometers.
Noting that the term "boutique airline" was once used for THY in Europe, Bolat said, "THY has risen to the top of the world today from the local airline. In 2003, Turkish Airlines started a brand new strategy under the AK Party. By 2023, we aim to have carried 85 million passengers this year. Last year, we carried 82 million passengers. We quickly recovered from the impact of the pandemic. While other airlines stumbled, THY, together with its employees, simply survived this crisis."
"In 2023, we bring in an income of over 19 billion"
Mentioning that THY has made significant profits in this process, Bolat continued as follows:
"THY made a profit of 2.7 billion dollars, which is the biggest record in the history of European aviation, in 2022. We currently have 414 aircraft. In the next 10 years, we aim to grow by 7.4 percent with a modest growth compared to the previous 20 years, to carry 170 million passengers and to reach a huge fleet of 810 aircraft. We provided 5 billion dollars of income to Turkey in 2003, and in 2023 we are bringing in over 19 billion dollars. If our strategy is implemented until 2033 with 810 aircraft, our contribution to Turkey will be 141 billion dollars. THY has suffered losses in the last two years of the last 20 years, in the terrorist incidents in 2016 and in the pandemic in 2020. Apart from that, it has made a profit every year for 18 years and has grown in double digits every year. We grew by 12 percent on average. This is not an accidental success."
"We are making a new breakthrough by upgrading our treats"
Emphasizing that the catering plays an important role in THY's success, Bolat said that they will talk about a new concept that will increase the preference of passengers for THY in the next 10 years. Stating that nearly 500 appetizers are prepared, Bolat said, "The recipes are prepared by well-trained chefs. We offer local products and fresh products to the world. We are making a new breakthrough by upgrading our treats. We will also give free internet to everyone on the plane. THY will be one of the three most digital airlines in the world."
Stating that they will launch a flight to Australia in December, so that there will be no continent in the world where they do not fly, Bolat stated that they have published a book called "Butikten Zirveye".
Making a statement to the press before the event, Bolat said that they will use their own seats in the "business" class very soon.
Bolat stated that they attach great importance to aviation and tourism as Turkey's soft power, he said that they are trying to change the passenger profile they bring to Turkey and are planning what the company will do in the future.
Expressing that the International Air Transport Association (IATA) will meet in Istanbul on 2-5 June, Bolat said:
"We are going to place a large order from one of the manufacturers there. We are at the final stage right now. We are considering ordering 600 aircraft. 200 of them will be wide body and 400 narrow body. We are about to finish the first step of this with a manufacturer at IATA. This is my vision. Others can come and say, 'This company has grown with hormones,' and drop to 200 planes any enjoy themselves. I haven't even taken a proper vacation for the last 18 years, I didn't go skiing, I didn't go to other places because it was raining. I was always concerned about my company. Will the next team be such a motivated, hard-working team as we are? If the elections pass as we expect, we will continue our works. That's why we are waiting for the elections, 600 planes will arrive in 10 years. By the end of this year, we will have 425 aircraft."
THY's new menu
After the speech, THY's cabin crew and "DO&CO" chefs introduced the new menu.
THY Board of Directors members, deputy general managers, columnists, artists, influencers and many guests attended the event.
THY includes flavors from both traditional Turkish and world cuisines in its new catering menus with the aim of promoting Turkey, and 80 percent of the products it uses in its menus are supplied from local producers. Rize tea, Afyon cream, Erzincan comb honey and many other local products are included in the menus.
The menus, which are designed with protein, vegetable, fruit-based products and less carbohydrate products by following healthy nutrition trends, are produced daily, with the freshest products and on a limited basis by expert chefs. All meals are prepared using special and boutique cooking techniques for high volumes.
Different from the offerings offered, in the new period economy class menus; egg dishes, homemade muesli and cheese varieties will be included during breakfast, and regional appetizers and daily freshly prepared pasta and grilled options will be offered for the dinner times.
Adana kebab and fish are on the menu
Homemade pasta, ravioli and spaghetti options, as well as main dishes such as Adana kebab cooked in a charcoal fire and grilled fish, and many different local appetizers were added to the "Business" class meal services.
In addition, while only two main course options were offered in the breakfast service, three different main courses will be served in the new period. As another option, desserts such as pancakes and french toast were added to enrich the menu. Breakfast products consisting of healthier ingredients were also included in the new menu.
Moreover, different homemade non-alcoholic cocktails and detox drinks consisting of healthy ingredients were added to the new menus for the guests in the "business" class.