Turkish Airlines Posts 10% Capacity Growth, Cargo Surges 18.8%

Omolabake Fasogbon 

Turkish Airlines has reported a robust start to 2026 as it recorded 10 percent passenger capacity rise year-on-year, even as its cargo operations surged 18.8 percent, leveraging global travel demand and freight market expansion. 

As reported in its consolidated traffic results, which included data from both Turkish Airlines and its subsidiary AJet, the airline carried 7.6 million passengers, while Available Seat Kilometres (ASK) rose to 23.7 billion from 21.5 billion a year earlier.

The carrier posted an overall load factor of 84 percent for the month, with international routes reaching 83.7 percent and domestic operations achieving 87.5 percent. 

It also reported a 10.8 percent increase in international-to-international transit passengers, which rose from 2.8 million in January 2025 to 3.1 million in January 2026. 

The firm informed that the growth reinforces its positioning as a global hub carrier, leveraging Istanbul’s geographic location as a connection point between continents. 

The cargo and mail operations volume reached 178.3 thousand tons in the month under review, an 18.8 percent increase compared to the prior year.