Founded in 1933, Turkish Airlines has grown from a tiny operation to the large passenger aviation organization that they are today. Based in Istanbul, Turkish Airlines (THY) has come a long way from their humble beginnings and now boasts an impressive fleet of 133 aircraft.
Turkish Airlines offers their passengers flights to more than 160 destinations across the globe. As one of the members of the Star Alliance™, THY passengers also have access to their fellow Star Alliance™ members, offering flights to more than 1,000 destinations. As well, they have code share agreements with 9 other international carriers. And, in case you haven’t heard; this airline is also a favorite among the celebrities with Kevin Costner promoting the airline on the company’s website and being an official sponsor of two of Europe’s best known soccer teams; Manchester United and F.C. Barcelona.
While the airline is known for outstanding service and associated with luxury, it is also one that has had its ample share of disasters. Since its founding in 1933, there have been 14 crashes involving the airline with many fatalities as a result. The last Turkish Airlines crash happened in February, 2009 when Flight 1951 crashed near Amsterdam killing 9 people including 3 pilots. The crash investigation cited a problem with the altimeter reading in the B737 as the cause of the accident. They have since ordered new protocol for all B737s to prevent a repeat of the disaster.
