Our success story

An adventure in the sky that began in 1933

Back in 1933, the Turkish Airlines adventure began; an endeavor to unite people, cultures, continents, countries and cities whilst providing new, inspiring travel experiences for all. On the 20th of May 1933, we took to the skies as State Airlines Administration. Leading the way, Türkiye’s first aviator and chief executive, Fesan Evrensev, set out with a mere 30 employees and 5 aircraft. 

In 1947, proudly flying the Turkish national flag, we conducted our first overseas flight, from Istanbul to Athens. Making headway in 1951, our fleet increased to 33 aircraft and we began to fly to new destinations: Nicosia, Beirut and Cairo. 

In 1955, taking the name of Turkish Airlines, we signed a document listing our extraordinary achievements. Furthermore, our name gained its ranks alongside the members of IATA, International Air Transport Association.