Istanbul: Turkish Airlines reported a significant increase in passenger traffic, with a 16% rise year-on-year, reaching 7.2 million in March. This growth was highlighted in the traffic results disclosed to Trkiye’s Public Disclosure Platform.

According to Anadolu Agency, the airline’s passenger numbers climbed from 6.2 million in March 2025 to 7.2 million in March 2026. The passenger load factor also saw an improvement, increasing by 6.1 percentage points to 83.6% in March 2026. Specifically, the international load factor grew by 5.9 percentage points to 83.7%, while the domestic load factor rose by 8 percentage points to 82.3%.

Additionally, the total available seat kilometers (ASK) experienced an 8.7% increase, reaching 22.8 billion, up from 20.9 billion in the previous year. Cargo and mail volumes also showed growth, rising 8.8% to 198,300 tons from 182,200 tons a year earlier.

By the end of March 2026, the airline’s fleet expanded by 11.9% year-on-year, totaling 528 aircraft, compared to 472 a year earlier. Earlier this year, Turkish Airlines celebrated the introduction of its 500th aircraft, which joined the fleet at the end of 2025.