The need felt for airline transportation services in Turkey is rapidly increasing as the importance attached to the concept of time increases. The Turkish Airlines Corporation (THY), which had a monopoly in airline transportation in Turkey for a long time, started its activities as a state enterprise in 1933, and it was transformed into a corporation with domestic and foreign capital in 1956. The THY lost its position as a monopoly when private airlines were given the right to provide transportation services at the beginning of the 1990s
The THY fleet is among the youngest fleets in the world with an average age of 5.9 years. As a result of modernization and development policies, THY reached a capacity of 10,911 seats with 71 planes, including three cargo planes as of 1998. THY flies to 98 points in the world and employs around 9,712 persons.
Also, with its gradually increasing quality of service, it is now among the best 50 airlines in the world. The nine private airlines in Turkey reached a 32 percent market share in the international passenger transportation with a 12,573 seat capacity and 65 planes as of September 1998. The share of foreign airlines in the market is 48 percent. The number of airports and airfields operated by the General Directorate of the State Airports Enterprises (DHMI), reached 34, including 18 international airports .