President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said to Turkish Airlines (THY) executives, "I hope that we will conclude the year 2023, which we began with breaking records, by breaking records once again with your efforts."
Sending a video message to the Turkish Airlines Executive Summit, President Erdoğan wished the summit to be auspicious for the aviation industry and the country.
Stating that the world has been going through a painful process for the last three years that began with the coronavirus pandemic and continued with the raging conflicts in the region, President Erdoğan pointed out that aviation is one of the sectors most adversely impacted by this process.
Stating, "In the same way Türkiye has successfully managed the pandemic's health-related aspects, it has also achieved success in air travel and transportation," President Erdoğan said that Turkish Airlines overcame the crisis with the least damage thanks to the timely measures and innovative practices it implemented during the pandemic.
President Erdoğan stated that 2021 was recorded as the year when wounds were healed and that 2022 was a year when records were broken in aviation.
Stating that the number of passengers at the country's airports, particularly in Istanbul and Antalya, clearly shows this, President Erdoğan went on to say:
"Istanbul Airport, built without a single penny from our state's coffers, ranked first in the European Passenger Traffic ranking in 2022. Istanbul Airport, the busiest airport in Europe, has been selected as the best airport in the world. We see news about our Istanbul Airport almost every day in the international press and on social media, which fills us with pride. Not only Istanbul Airport, but all of our airports, the number of which we have increased from 26 to 57, amaze their visitors with their comfort, technology, architecture and other facilities. Türkiye, which had a limited presence in the field of aviation until 15-20 years ago, is among the notable countries in this sector today."
"You have become our country's most valuable brand."
Stating that the flag-carrier Turkish Airlines and its executives made a highly significant contribution to the authoring of this success story, President Erdoğan said:
"Over the past 20 years, as we turned air travel into the public’s means of travel, you have expanded your wings to 129 countries on five continents and become our country's most valuable brand. You have made us all proud by placing Turkish Airlines among the world's top 10 most valuable airlines. Ignoring the doom-mongers who spread pessimism rather than fostering hope in our people, you have made many dreams of our nation come true by working with tenacity, confidence, and honesty. I congratulate each of you for your dedication and hard work."
Recalling that Turkish Airlines will celebrate its 90th anniversary in 2023, the 100th anniversary of the Republic, President Erdoğan said: "We need to maintain our accelerated pace to honour these two significant anniversaries properly. I expect you, my brothers and sisters, who represent Türkiye and the Turkish nation worldwide, to carry out your work with this sensitivity."
President Erdoğan wished success to the entire Turkish Airlines family, from cabin and cockpit crews to technicians, sales teams and office workers, and said, "I hope that we will conclude the year 2023, which we began with breaking records, by breaking records once again with your efforts. May Allah bless and help you."