The history of Turkish Airlines
Turkish Airlines started its journey in 1933 with 5 pieces of aircraft and with less than 30 employees. It was originally called “the State Airlines of Turkey”.
The first Turkish International commercial flight
The first international flight from Turkey took place in 1947. The destination was Athens, Greece – Turkey’s closest neighbour.
Turkish Airlines expanded its fleet with 33 aircrafts in 1951 and started flying to new destinations such as Nicosia, Beirut and Cairo.
The first Turkish international airport
In 1953, the first commercial airport, Yeşilköy, was completed and opened to international air traffic in Istanbul. The airport was renamed as “Atatürk Airport” in 1985.
The “Turkish Airlines” brand emerged in 1955.
Ataturk airport became a global meeting hub and brought thousands of people together with Turkish Airlines for decades. As well as adding 5 Viscount 794 aircraft to its fleet, Turkish Airlines introduced jet-powered aircrafts for the first time in 1958.
The story of Turkish airlines logo
The Turkish airlines logo was designed by Mesut Manioğlu in 1959. Manioglu was inspired by the “crane”, which is considered a holy bird by ancient Turks. Known for its ability to make intercontinental flights at an altitude of 9,000 meters, the “crane” figure has become the main element of the brand.
Turkish airlines hit a milestone by transporting 2.5 million passengers in 1983.
Turkish airlines today is a strong player in International Aviation and employs more than 5 thousand employees in 4 continents.