Turkish Airlines reported a strong performance in May 2026, carrying 7.9 million passengers and achieving the highest May traffic figures in its history, supported by growth in passenger capacity and cargo operations.
The airline said its available seat kilometers (ASK), a key measure of passenger carrying capacity, rose 2.5 per cent year-on-year to 23.2 billion in May from 22.6 billion in the corresponding month of 2025. The overall load factor stood at 84.0 per cent, with international flights recording a load factor of 84.0 per cent and domestic services 84.4 per cent.
Cargo and mail operations also registered growth during the month. Turkish Airlines transported 203.1 thousand tons of cargo and mail in May, an increase of 8.6 per cent compared with the same period last year.
For the January-May period, the airline carried 36.4 million passengers, up 7.3 per cent from a year earlier. During the five-month period, total load factor reached 83.6 per cent, while ASK increased 6.5 per cent to 112.1 billion. Cargo and mail volumes rose 13.5 per cent to 954.6 thousand tons.
In Kolkata, the continued expansion of Turkish Airlines’ global network and capacity is expected to strengthen connectivity options for travellers and businesses in eastern India, particularly those seeking links to Europe, the Middle East and North America through Istanbul. Industry observers believe rising passenger and cargo traffic could support growing demand from Kolkata’s travel and trade sectors.
Turkish Airlines said its fleet stood at 542 aircraft at the end of May 2026. The traffic figures include operations of both the main Turkish Airlines brand and AJet.
