Turkish Airlines has recorded the strongest May in its history, carrying 7.9 million passengers at a total load factor of 84 per cent, according to traffic results published this week, a performance that sets the carrier up for a bumper summer season.
The figures underline the airline’s momentum as it heads into the busiest months of the year, buoyed by steady capacity growth, an expanding fleet and the continued rise of its Istanbul hub, which recently overtook Heathrow as Europe’s busiest airport.
International and domestic load factors held firm at 84.0 per cent and 84.4 per cent respectively, while year-to-date passenger numbers reached 36.4 million, up 7.3 per cent on the same period in 2025.
Available Seat Kilometres, the industry’s standard measure of capacity, rose 2.5 per cent in May and 6.5 per cent across the year to date, reflecting sustained network expansion from the carrier’s Istanbul base.
Cargo proved an equally bright spot. Freight and mail volumes climbed 8.6 per cent in May to 203,100 tonnes, with year-to-date tonnage up 13.5 per cent at 954,600 tonnes, comfortably outpacing the global freight market tracked in IATA’s monthly air cargo analysis.
The group’s fleet now numbers 542 aircraft serving 358 destinations — 305 international and 53 domestic, across 133 countries, one of the largest route networks in world aviation. The consolidated results cover both mainline operations and low-cost subsidiary AJet.
The record month positions Turkish Airlines well for the peak travel period, at a time when business travel demand is booming across the industry and rival European groups are also reporting buoyant results on the back of strong demand.
With Istanbul cementing its role as a global connecting hub, the combination of rising demand, added capacity and robust cargo growth gives the flag carrier a solid platform for the months ahead. The full traffic statement is available via the airline’s investor relations site.
As the carrier works towards its ambition of 100 million annual passengers, May’s record suggests Turkish Airlines is not merely maintaining its upward trajectory, it is accelerating it.
