Turkish Airlines celebrates 75 years
Turkish Airlines celebrated its 75th anniversary last week, marking the achievement with a flight to Athens, its first international destination. The airline operated its first international flight on February 12, 1947 on the Ankara-Istanbul-Athens route, carrying the national flag in international skies for the first time. Among the passengers of the two-hour 40-minute flight was the era's Turkish State Airlines General Manager Osman Nuri Baykal.
On the anniversary flight, Turkish Airlines Chairman of the Board and the Executive Committee, Dr. Ahmet Bolat said, "We had the honor of carrying our flag to abroad 75 years ago at Athens. While we transported 30 passengers between two neighboring countries, now we carry millions of our guests to their loved ones over the continents. As the airline that flies to more countries than any other, we will continue to host our guests with Turkish hospitality and fly our flag proudly in the sky."
During the event, Turkish Airlines said cabin crew addressed passengers saying, “Although many changes occurred in aviation since that first international flight, excitement and happiness of meeting with our passengers in skies remained the same for Turkish Airlines. We hope to discover the world for many more years with you."
At the time of the first flight 75 years ago, the airline had only only 33 aircraft. Today, Turkish boasts one of the world’s youngest fleets with 371 aircraft, flying to Athens with four frequencies and to Thessaloniki with two frequencies, connecting these cities to 127 countries around the world. Turkish began flying to Thessaloniki in 2001. The airline is known for flying to more international destinations than any other airline with 128 countries in five continents in its flight network.
