Türkiye recorded a landmark year in civil aviation in 2006, carrying a combined total of 61.6 million air passengers on domestic and international routes, according to figures released by the Turkish Civil Aviation Department.
Domestic travel accounted for 28.8 million passengers, while international routes handled 32.8 million. Overall passenger numbers climbed 10 percent compared with 2005.
The figures are especially notable because Türkiye reached passenger thresholds that Eurocontrol and IATA had not projected the country to hit until 2011. Domestic air traffic alone grew by 40 percent during the year, and total cargo transport reached 1,347,000 tons, the highest volume in four years.
Fleet capacity also expanded significantly over the period. The number of aircraft in service grew from 150 in 2002 to 264 in 2006, while available seat capacity increased from 25,114 to 42,000 over the same span.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in January 2007, in its own words.