The Turkish national carrier Turkish Airlines announced plans to create a full-fledged low-cost carrier. The airline plans to create a full-fledged separate low-cost company, Ajet, hoping that this will have a positive effect on tourism. In Turkey, it is noted that up to half of tourists arrive in Europe by low-cost carriers.
The details are as follows: the Turkish national carrier has spun off a new subsidiary, AJet Air Transport Joint Stock Company, from its budget carrier division AnadoluJet. The new company was registered on July 14, 2023, the authorized capital is 450 million Turkish liras ($17.2 million). At the same time, the AnadoluJet fleet includes four A320 aircraft, twelve A321 aircraft, seven B737-8 aircraft, and forty-six B737-800 aircraft.
Hamit Kuk, the adviser to the president of TÜRSAB and chairman of the board of Passotour, commented that Turgaluska had been talking about the need to create a low-cost airline under the Turkish brand since 2017.
According to their estimates, a low-cost airline should increase the competitiveness of Turkish tourism, since the lack of low-cost routes makes it difficult to compete with other Mediterranean countries since low-cost airlines actively bring tourists to Spain and Greece.
In Turkey, it is expected that Ajet will have the opportunity to compete with Easyjet, Ryanair, and Germanwings. Experts, in turn, noted that the tariffs offered by the new carrier will be the main factor. Thus, experts commented that the new airline will have every chance to find its tourist “if the rates are really attractive.”