Türkiye records strong civil aviation growth
Türkiye’s growth in civil aviation continues without slowing down, with the number of aircraft operated by airlines reaching 846 and total seat capacity rising to 166,000.
According to data compiled by an Anadolu Agency correspondent from figures provided by the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Türkiye’s civil aviation performance during the first half of the year highlighted the sector’s continued growth momentum, CE Report quotes Anadolu Agency.
Türkiye ranked fifth among European countries in terms of Safety Assessment of Foreign Aircraft (SAFA) performance. During this period, eight international negotiations resulted in 22 additional flight frequencies, while Türkiye also secured the right to operate unlimited cargo flights with Canada.
Türkiye has been strengthening its position in the global aviation sector, not only in passenger transportation but also in the broader aviation economy. The movement of millions of passengers through the country’s airports demonstrates the scale the civil aviation industry has reached.
Between January and June, the total number of passengers reached 111 million, including 50 million domestic passengers and 61 million international passengers. The number of aircraft in airline fleets rose to 846, while total seat capacity exceeded 166,000.
Cargo volumes also increased during the period. A total of 2.499 million tonnes of cargo was transported, including 441,000 tonnes on domestic routes and 2.058 million tonnes on international routes.
Türkiye's civil aviation fleet reaches 846 aircraft
At the end of the first half of the year, Türkiye had 14 airline operators, 49 air taxi operators, 101 general aviation operators, 72 balloon operators, 13 ultralight aircraft operators, 165 maintenance organizations, 48 ground-handling companies and 15 landing strips.
Air taxi operators had 259 aircraft, general aviation operators had 632, balloon operators had 528 and ultralight aircraft operators had 35 aircraft.
Türkiye’s growth in aviation has not been limited to passenger and cargo traffic. Over the past 23 years, the sector’s turnover has increased 805-fold, surpassing 2.463 trillion Turkish liras.
838 inspections carried out for flight safety
Türkiye’s international aviation connections also continued to expand during this period. By the end of the first half of the year, the number of countries with which Türkiye had air transport agreements had risen to 175.
During the six-month period, inspections were also carried out to improve aviation safety and flight security. A total of 838 inspections were conducted, including 387 airworthiness inspections, 334 flight operations inspections, 57 airport inspections, 37 air navigation inspections and 23 aviation security inspections.
These included 33 Safety Assessment of Foreign Aircraft (SAFA) inspections and 19 Safety Assessment of National Aircraft (SANA) inspections.
Comprehensive inspection and oversight activities are also planned for the second half of the year to further improve safety, security, quality and airworthiness standards in the civil aviation sector.
As part of these efforts, authorities aim to oversee insurance activities involving domestic and foreign aircraft, as well as the certification of products, parts and modifications made to them. Approval and oversight activities for continuing airworthiness organizations will also be carried out.
Monitoring activities will additionally cover the licensing, authorization and inspection of aircraft maintenance organizations.
In the field of aviation security, three airport security inspections and three covert aviation security tests are planned as part of ongoing quality-control activities.
Under the National Civil Aviation Security Programme and related instructions, authorities also plan security inspections of authorized agents, five airlines and four regulated cargo supply entities. In addition, cybersecurity inspections are planned at 15 aviation-sector companies under the SHT-Cybersecurity Instruction.
Through the activities and inspections planned for the second half of the year, authorities aim to ensure that civil aviation operations continue to be conducted safely, securely and in compliance with international standards.
Photo: Chat GPT
