Travel Pulse Canada was the exclusive Canadian Travel Trade media outlet on hand at The Turkish Airlines Corporate Club Conference held on October 8th, bringing one of the most important corporate travel events on the calendar to Istanbul. Turkish Airlines, flying to more countries than any other airline, hosted the conference for its fourth year, bringing together thought leaders and experts from the travel industry to discuss, debate and network.

Turkish Airlines Chairman of the Board and the Executive Committee, IIker Ayci opened the conference, which was moderated by BBC Hard Talk’s Aaron Heslehurst. Helehurst spoke candidly on several topics, including the 737 Max. Ayci said “ He has faith in the FAA and they will do their job.”

Helehurst also asked about consumer confidence on the aircraft, noting that some consumers may be hesitant to fly on the Max. Ayci said. “I will fly on that aircraft. The Boeing CEO is flying on test flights. " Once again reiterating his confidence in the FAA.

When asked about the revenue impact the aircraft has caused he said, “Although there has been some impact, the good news is we are up 3.6% in load factor year over year." He said the average age of the fleet is only 8.3 years and the future holds great things as they bring on the new A350 and worked towards their passenger target of 200 million.

Over 1,200 travel professionals from 75 countries met in Istanbul to celebrate this year’s theme ’10 years of Turkish Airlines Corporate Club’ as the airline enters a new era from its new home at Istanbul Airport, the world’s biggest airport terminal built from scratch. The program featured leading figures in the travel industry including keynote speaker Celeste Headlee, an award-winning journalist and bestselling author as well as GBTA’s Melanie Garrett, among others.

Ayci was bursting with pride as he spoke in detail about “The Great Move”. The group worked with aviation specialists for over two and a half years planning the move. In all, the entire shift took just thirty two hours. Ayci thanked all those involved and said “it could not have worked without them.” In order to ensure the move went according to plan, the group delayed the move by 6 months to make sure everything was on schedule.

The flag carrier officially moved in April 2019. From the brand new Turkish Airlines hub, which will have an annual capacity of 200 million upon final completion, cutting-edge features and increased facilities offer huge potential for the airline’s operations. With one of the youngest fleets in Europe, Turkish Airlines is on track to building a fleet of 400 by 2021 with the arrival of six 787-9 Dreamliners this year, allowing the global airline to further expand its network. New destinations launched in 2019 include Sharjah, Marrakesh, Port Harcourt, Bali, Pointe-Noire, Luxor and Mexico City with a Rovaniemi route to be launched in December. The all new business class lounge is something to behold and set a new standard.

Quite frankly you could vacation in the airport itself.

Turkish Airlines Corporate Club is dedicated to serving the best of Turkish hospitality to its corporate customers and is committed to offer a range of advantages through its loyalty program. Appreciating that time is of the utmost importance to its guests, the Turkish Airlines Corporate Club provides maximum flexibility of ticket booking, use of Istanbul Airport’s exclusive lounges and pre-boarding advantages such as a generous baggage allowance. Once onboard, valued members are invited to enjoy excellent products and services. Business Class guests have exclusive use of flatbeds to stay refreshed, free WiFi to stay connected and and Flying Chefs who serve top class catering.