Turkish Airlines announced its traffic results for the first six months of 2026. The company increased its passenger numbers by 5.5% to 44.5 million, while the passenger load factor rose by 2.3 percentage points to 83.7%.
THY Reached 44.5 Million Passengers in the First Six Months
Turkish Airlines (THY) shared its traffic data for the January–June 2026 period with the public. According to the announced figures, the company carried 44.5 million passengers during the first six months of the year, recording a 5.5% increase compared to the same period last year. During the same period, the passenger load factor increased by 2.3 percentage points to 83.7%, while the fleet size reached 552 aircraft.
THY’s Passenger Numbers and Load Factor Increased
During the first six months of the year, the number of destinations served by THY increased from 353 to 358. The fleet size also increased by 13.8%, rising from 485 aircraft to 552 aircraft.
The company’s total Available Seat Kilometres (ASK) increased by 5.1%, from 128.9 billion kilometres to 135.5 billion kilometres. The passenger load factor increased from 81.4% to 83.7%, recording a rise of 2.3 percentage points.
The total number of passengers increased from 42.2 million to 44.5 million, while the number of passenger flights operated increased by 2.9% to 273,735.
Cargo Transportation Recorded Double-Digit Growth
THY’s cargo and mail transportation performance also continued its strong growth.
During the January–June period, the volume of cargo and mail transported increased by 13.3% to 1,157,400 tonnes. Cargo volume in international operations increased by 13.8%, while domestic cargo operations experienced a limited decline.
International Operations Supported Growth
During the first six months, the number of passengers on international operations increased by 6.6% to 29.4 million. The international load factor stood at 83.6%.
On domestic routes, passenger numbers increased by 3.6% to 15.1 million, while the load factor reached 84.9%.
Far East Led Regional Traffic
The strongest growth in THY’s regional performance was recorded in the Far East market.
21% Increase in Far East Passenger Numbers
The number of passengers carried on Far East routes increased by 21% to 5.2 million. In the same region, Available Seat Kilometres increased by 18.5%, while the load factor reached 88.8%.
European Market Continued to Grow
Passenger numbers on European routes increased by 9.5% to 15.4 million. The load factor in the region was recorded at 80.7%.
Africa Maintained Strong Performance
In the African market, passenger numbers increased by 13.6% to 2.6 million. The load factor stood at 79.6%.
Decline in Middle East Traffic
In the Middle East region, offered capacity decreased by 28.6%, while passenger numbers declined by 19% to 3.5 million. Despite this, the load factor increased to 75.7%.
Load Factor Increased in June
According to the June 2026 figures, THY carried 8.1 million passengers. Although passenger numbers decreased by a limited 1.6% compared to the same month last year, the passenger load factor increased by 2.3 percentage points to 84.5%.
The volume of cargo and mail transported in June increased by 11.6% to 201,500 tonnes.
