Türkiye's civil aviation fleet reaches 846 aircraft

Türkiye's civil aviation fleet reached 846 aircraft with a total seating capacity of 166,000 by mid-year, according to data released by the Transport and Infrastructure Ministry's Civil Aviation General Directorate. The sector's first-half performance indicators showed sustained momentum across passenger, cargo and safety metrics.

The ministry reported that 14 airlines now operate under the national flag, supported by 49 air taxi operators, 101 general aviation companies and 72 hot-air balloon businesses. Maintenance infrastructure includes 165 facilities alongside 48 ground handling companies serving 15 active runways.

Passenger and cargo growth

Airports across Türkiye handled 111 million passengers between January and June, split between 50 million domestic and 61 million international travelers. Cargo operations moved nearly 2.5 million metric tons during the same period, comprising 441,000 tons on domestic routes and approximately 2.1 million tons on international services.

Safety rankings and international agreements

The country secured fifth position among European nations in the Safety Assessment of Foreign Aircraft Program after conducting 33 SAFA inspections and 19 Safety Assessment of National Aircraft reviews. Diplomatic efforts yielded 22 additional flight frequencies and unlimited cargo rights with Canada following eight bilateral negotiations, while aviation authorities scheduled three airport security audits and 15 cybersecurity inspections for the second half.