Turkish Airlines takes aim at Windhoek skies

Turkish Airlines is expected to take a second bite at the cherry with plans to launch scheduled services between Istanbul and Windhoek, aviation analyst Sean Mendis believes, following the carrier’s recent order to acquire 225 aircraft from Boeing.Mendis made the remarks on the AviaDev podcast, suggesting that the airline’s focus on north-south travel routes and its major fleet expansion make a compelling case for it to re-establish services between Namibia and Türkiye.Turkish Airlines previously operated weekly cargo services linking Johannesburg, South Africa; Windhoek, Namibia; and Istanbul, Türkiye in 2020 but later discontinued the route.Strong European demandMaking a case for the introduction of scheduled passenger services, Mendis said Turkish Airlines’ network strategy and market positioning could give it an edge where other carriers have struggled.“We saw that Qatar has been unsuccessful in Namibia because Namibia is primarily a north-south market, unlike most African countries which tend to be east-west. Just looking at that, with this order, I will not be surprised to see Turkish in Windhoek over the next while,” Mendis said.He added that Turkish Airlines’ strong European presence, particularly in Germany - a major source market for Namibian tourism - positions it well to capture traffic to and from Namibia.“Looking at where Windhoek’s traffic goes, and the growth in the German travel market, Turkish has a huge presence in primary, secondary, and tertiary European cities. I think there is a competitive option that Turkish will be able to offer if they deploy smaller narrow-body aircraft to supplement their existing operations,” Mendis explained.Expansion plansThe aircraft deal has been a long time in the making, with Turkish Airlines’ chairman first revealing details of the planned purchase in June 2024, according to Reuters."With these orders, our entire fleet aims to consist of new-generation aircraft by 2035, thereby strengthening operational efficiency and supporting an average annual growth rate of around 6%," the company said following the announcement.Under its 2023–2033 strategic plan, Turkish Airlines aims to expand its fleet to more than 800 aircraft by 2033. The airline operated 485 aircraft by the end of June 2025, according to its latest investor presentation.In line with its growth strategy, Turkish Airlines announced in May 2023 that it had begun talks with aircraft manufacturers to procure around 600 aircraft in total. The new Boeing order is a significant step toward achieving that goal, positioning the carrier to deepen its network across Africa, including potential re-entry into markets such as Namibia.

Turkish Airlines takes aim at Windhoek skies

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Republikein 2026-01-26

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Turkish Airlines takes aim at Windhoek skies

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