The Turkish Airlines annual corporate club conference, which was held recently, brought one of the most important corporate travel events on the calendar to Istanbul. Over 1,200 travel professionals from 75 countries met to celebrate this year’s theme, “10 years of Turkish Airlines Corporate Club,” as the airline enters a new era from its new home at Istanbul Airport, the world’s biggest airport terminal built from scratch. Chairman of the board and the executive committee, M. lker Aycı, opened the conference, which was moderated by BBC Hard Talk’s Aaron Heslehurst.
The programme featured leading figures in the travel industry including keynote speaker Celeste Headlee, an award-winning journalist and bestselling author as well as GBTA’s Melanie Garrett, among others. This year has seen the airline enter a new chapter in its history as a global carrier. The airline moved to its new home at Istanbul Airport last April during a huge operation dubbed ‘The Great Move’. From the brand new hub, which will have an annual capacity to handle 200 million passengers upon completion, cutting-edge features and increased facilities offer huge potential for the airline’s operations. With one of the youngest fleets in Europe, Turkish Airlines is on track to building a fleet of 400 by 2021 with the arrival of six B787-9 Dreamliners this year, allowing the airline to further expand its network. New destinations launched this year include Sharjah, Marrakesh, Port Harcourt, Bali, Pointe-Noire, Luxor and Mexico City with a Rovaniemi route to be launched in December.
Turkish Airlines Corporate Club is dedicated to serving the best of Turkish hospitality to its corporate customers and is committed to offer a range of advantages through its loyalty program. Appreciating that time is of the utmost importance to its guests, the Airline’s Corporate Club provides maximum flexibility of ticket booking, use of Istanbul Airport’s exclusive lounges and pre-boarding advantages such as a generous baggage allowance. Once onboard, members are invited to enjoy excellent products and services. Business Class guests have exclusive use of flatbeds to stay refreshed, free WiFi to stay connected and and Flying Chefs who serve top class catering. Established in 1933 with a fleet of five aircraft, and today a Star Alliance member, Turkish Airlines has a fleet of 339, passenger and cargo aircraft, flying to 316 worldwide destinations as 266 international and 50 domestic, in 125 countries.