Turkish Airlines breaks 65M passenger mark in first 9 months of 2024

Turkish Airlines (THY) released its traffic and cargo data for the January to September 2024 period, highlighting a slight increase in passenger numbers and a significant boost in cargo volumes, according to a filing with the Public Disclosure Platform (KAP).

65.1M passengers carried by Turkish Airlines

The total number of passengers carried by Turkish Airlines reached 65.1 million in the first nine months of 2024, reflecting a 1.8% increase compared to the 63.9 million passengers during the same period in 2023.

The number of international transfer passengers, also known as “passengers from abroad transferring to abroad,” rose by 6.7%, reaching 23.9 million in the January to September 2024 period, compared to 22.4 million in the same period last year.

However, the overall passenger load factor (PLF) declined by 0.8 percentage points year-over-year, dropping to 82.3%. The international load factor was recorded at 81.8%, while the domestic load factor stood at 87%.

In terms of capacity, total available seat kilometers (ASK) grew by 8.4% year-over-year, increasing from 176 billion in January to September 2023 to 190.8 billion in the same period of 2024.

Turkish Airlines also reported a 26.5% surge in cargo and mail carried during the first nine months of 2024, reaching 1.5 million tons, up from 1.2 million tons in 2023. As of the end of September, the airline’s fleet consisted of 467 aircraft.

Turkish Airlines’ September 2024 results

For September 2024, Turkish Airlines carried 7.7 million passengers, marking a 3.4% decline from the 7.9 million passengers carried in September 2023. Despite the drop in total passengers, international transfer passengers rose by 3.1%, from 2.66 million in September 2023 to 2.74 million in September 2024.

The passenger load factor for September 2024 also saw a decrease of 1.1 percentage points, falling to 83.8%. The international load factor for the month stood at 83.3%, while the domestic load factor reached 88.8%.

Available seat kilometers for September 2024 increased by 5.7% year-over-year, reaching 22.3 billion, compared to 21.1 billion in September 2023.

Cargo and mail volumes transported in September 2024 rose by 11.9%, with 168,100 tons carried, up from 150,200 tons in the same month last year.