Turkish Airlines has reported a sharp increase in air freight volumes for January, underlining continued strength in its cargo operations at the start of 2026.
The airline carried 178,300 tonnes of cargo and mail during the month, up 18.8% compared with January last year. The figures include operations from both Turkish Airlines’ main brand and its low-cost subsidiary AJet.
Capacity expansion supports freight demand
While the carrier’s results were led by passenger growth, overall capacity expansion has also supported cargo performance.
Available seat kilometres (ASK) rose 10% year-on-year to 23.7 billion, reflecting network growth and additional frequencies across key markets.
With a fleet of 522 aircraft at the end of January, Turkish Airlines continues to benefit from its widebody operations and extensive global network, which enable strong bellyhold cargo capacity alongside dedicated freight services.
Hub strength drives international flows
The airline’s Istanbul hub remains central to its cargo strategy, facilitating international-to-international traffic flows.
Passenger data showed international connecting traffic rising 10.8% year-on-year, an indicator of sustained long-haul network activity that also supports freight connectivity.
Turkish Airlines has positioned cargo as a core growth pillar in recent years, leveraging its geographic location between Europe, Asia and the Middle East to serve high-demand trade corridors.
