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ISTANBUL - Turkish Airlines (THY) has joined the Star Alliance, the most important airline network of the world.
A pre-accession protocol was signed between the THY and the Star Alliance.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Turkish Finance Minister Kemal Unakitan said, "such alliances are of great importance in our globalizing world. Our government has been putting into force new policies since the day it came to the political power. One of these policies is to encourage the private sector. During our political power, new companies were established in the air travel sector."
The THY will become the 21st member carrier of the Star Alliance. Its pre-accession process is expected to last for 1-1.5 years.
With its fleet of 101 aircraft and network covering destinations in the USA, Europe, Asia and Africa, the THY will allow the Star Alliance network to offer customers more than 17,500 daily flights serving 927 airports in 162 countries. Turkish Airlines' home base, Istanbul, will in future become Star Alliance's foremost hub at the crossroads of Europe and Asia and act as gateway to various new destinations in Turkey and new connections especially to Central Asia and the Middle East.
For the THY, the Star Alliance membership will allow the carrier to expand its customer offer in terms of network coverage, frequent flyer benefits, lounges and alliance fare products. At the same time, the THY will participate in all Star Alliance initiatives aimed at reducing costs, while at the same time improving customer service, such as collocation at airports, joint lounges, electronic ticketing or joint media purchasing, to name a few.
The Star Alliance controls 25 percent of the worldwide air travel market and its annual sales exceeds 100 billion USD.
The Star Alliance network was established in 1997 as the first truly global airline alliance to offer customers worldwide reach and a smooth travel experience.
The Star Alliance was voted the Best Airline Alliance by the Business Traveller Magazine in 2003 and 2006, and by the Skytrax in 2003 and 2005.
The members are Air Canada, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Austrian, bmi, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, Spanair, SWISS, TAP Portugal, THAI, United, US Airways and VARIG Brazilian Airlines. Regional member carriers Adria Airways (Slovenia), Blue1 (Finland) and Croatia Airlines enhance the global network.
Overall, the Star Alliance network offers more than 16,000 daily flights to 841 destinations in 157 countries.
On the other hand, the THY has been the national flag carrier since its foundation in 1933. Turkish Airlines, which has established by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkish Republic, had a small fleet of 5 airplanes. Now it has 101 airplanes. The THY ranks 27th in the world in terms fleet size with 101 planes. The THY achieved its first scheduled domestic flight in 1933 and first scheduled international flight in 1947 and has evolved into a hospitable, friendly and reliable brand not only for Turkish society, but also for all citizens of the world who prefer to travel by air. In 2006, nearly 17 million passengers prefer flying with the THY. The THY travels the skies of four continents and carries its passengers to 103 destinations abroad and 28 in Turkey, amounting to 131 in total. Turkish Airlines will boast a younger and more modern fleet with the delivery of 59 new planes which were ordered previously and started to join our fleet in early 2005.
