Turkish Airlines

Founded on May 20, 1933, as the State Airlines Administration, Turkish Airlines began its journey with just five aircraft and 30 employees under the leadership of Fesa Evrensev, Turkey's first aviator. Based in Istanbul, the carrier initially focused on domestic logistics before expanding to international routes in 1947 with its first overseas flight to Athens. Over the decades, it transformed from a governmental department into a massive global network carrier, rebranding to Türk Hava Yolları A.O. in 1956 and joining the Star Alliance in 2008.

Today, the airline is recognized as the national flag carrier of Turkey and serves more countries non-stop than any other airline in the world. Its fleet, which consists of nearly 500 aircraft, is primarily composed of models manufactured by Airbus (headquartered in France) and Boeing (headquartered in the USA). The airline operates a hybrid ownership model: the Turkey Wealth Fund (TVF) holds a significant strategic stake of approximately 49.12%, while the remaining shares are publicly traded on Borsa İstanbul (ticker: THYAO). This structure allows for public market participation while ensuring the airline remains a state instrument aligned with Turkey's national economic objectives.