Azerbaijan, Baku, Dec. 16 / Trend S.Aliyev /
Turkish Airlines (THY), which in March 2010 will mark the 20th anniversary of launching flights to Azerbaijan, is considering increasing the number of flights to Baku, THY Vice-President of Marketing and Sales (Western Europe and Balkans) Mehmet Baspınar said at the conference organized by the THY and Turkish Embassy in Azerbaijan.
Flights between Istanbul and Baku are carried out three times a day, he said. The number of flights could increase to four come spring 2011, he added.
The company considers the opening of flights to Ganja. However, this will depend on passenger numbers and availability of the aircraft carrier. Today, THY carries out flights to the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic through its subsidiary airline AnadoluJet (low-cost airline in Turkey), Baspinar said.
Baspinar said the workload of flights en route to Azerbaijan and back is about 80 percent, which is a good indicator.
Turkish Airlines launched one of the newly acquired aircraft Airbus A-330, whose seat numbers reach 295, in flight to Baku on Dec.9. They will carry out flights to Azerbaijan until Dec.19. However, these planes can again be used on routes in Azerbaijan in subsequent flights in case of a substantial increase in passenger traffic, as happens, for example, during the holidays, he said.
Baspinar said Turkey starts their annual shopping festival in 2011. They will take place from mid-March to mid-April and involve substantial discounts on various products. (A similar festival is held annually in Dubai and attracts a large number of tourists.)
Passengers who will use Turkish Airlines' services will be offered a large discount campaign. In particular, the discount can be applied to increase the number of excess baggage without paying duties.
THY already offers plenty of attractive conditions for its passengers, he said. In particular, the company offers free tours of the city's attractions for passengers flying in transit through Istanbul and spending considerable time in the airport waiting for a connecting flight. Bogaz tour will also be offered in the near future, he said.
Assessing the post-crisis perspective of the air-travel market, Baspinar noted that today the world has seen growth, though small. The market largely increased and is projected to continue to significantly increase due to the growing regions of Asia.
Azerbaijani journalists were also introduced to the technical center for training pilots and flight attendants of the company, to see equipment used during training and the work of airline.
