Turkish Airlines wants to boost cooperation with PIA

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PK777
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Turkish Airlines wants to boost cooperation with PIA

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Turkish Airlines wants to boost cooperation with PIA

ISTANBUL (May 17 2006): Turkish Airlines wanted to expand co-operation with PIA to increase passenger and cargo business. This was stated by the executive vice president Turkish Airlines Haul Tokel while talking to visiting journalists from Pakistan at airlines head office.

Executive vice president technical Dr Ismail Demir was also present on the occasion. He said that his airline was considering starting another flight between Istanbul and Islamabad and later to Lahore. He pointed out that his airline had already signed agreement with PIA for providing right to fly to Pakistani airline and sharing passengers for different destinations.

To a question, he said Turkish Airlines would seriously consider operating freighter service for Pakistan to carry its export of perishable items for fast delivery to various destinations in Europe.

"We can buy freighter to take Pakistani export cargo," he added.

Tokel said there would not be any visa restrictions between the Islamic countries particularly for Pakistan and Turkey if they wanted to boost trade within Islamic block.

He said that that issue would be raised at various forums to relax visa restrictions between Islamic countries. He told newsmen that during the last three years, Turkish Airline had doubled its fleet, rising from 56 to 90 and then 105 in coming August this year.

Tokel said Turkish Airline had grown very fast and posted a net profit of dollars 100 million in 2005 with a turnover of dollars 2.4 billion. In 2006, they expected to grow by 40 per cent, he noted.

He said airline business in the world was growing at a rate of 15 to 20 per cent, but airlines of Turkey and China were growing at much faster rate.

He said passenger traffic on Turkish Airline had grown from nine million three years ago to 18 million this year. Tokel pointed out that Turkish government would further off- load 25 per cent of its share in the airline in next days, making a total of 50 per cent of its share in the hands of public.


Copyright Associated Press of Pakistan, 2006