Turkish Airlines, the flag carrier of the country, saw a 25.8 per cent increase in global ticket sales in the first half of the year over the same period in 2012, a total of more than 22.4 million passengers.

The international carrier’s US ticket sales to Turkey jumped 10 per cent between May and June 2013 compared to the same months last year.

Turkish Airlines’ largest increase in passengers came from Africa, which had a 36.9  per cent increase in ticket sales compared to 2012, with Somalia leading the way at 247  per cent.

Turkish Airlines’ growth in number of passengers comes at a time when Turkey is enjoying a significant growth in tourism. The country welcomed 10.5 million non-Turkish visitors between January and May 2013, an 18.5  per cent increase compared to the same period last year, according to the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Part of this growth is attributed to business travelers as Turkey becomes a worldwide hub for international business with many ambitious projects underway.

“Turkey’s large-scale infrastructure projects, such as Istanbul’s third bridge, third airport and Kanal Istanbul, are important indicators of the stability and confidence in the future of our country,” said Hüseyin Avni Mutlu, Mayor of Istanbul.

In addition to being awarded Europe’s Best Airline three times in a row, Turkish Airlines was also awarded “Best Business Class Catering” at the 2013 Skytrax Passengers Choice Awards for its Flying Chef service on long flights. The Flying Chefs offer passengers a taste of Turkey, with freshly prepared traditional Turkish dishes and a roving mezze cart.

“This is an exciting time for the airline, having recently announced our 235th gateway while enjoying a remarkable increase in global passengers,” said Temel Kotil, CEO of Turkish Airlines. – TradeArabia News Service