By ITOHAN ABARA-LASERIAN

Turkish Airlines has expressed plans to increase flight frequencies to Lagos and Abuja as part of strategic five-year vision to cement its leadership in the Nigerian aviation market.

The General Manager, Turkish Airlines, Mr Lokman Balkan, said this at a press conference on Monday in Lagos.

“Our five-year vision in Nigeria is to continue providing exceptional experiences.

“We aim to increase our investments in Nigeria, especially, by adding more frequencies firstly to Lagos and then to Abuja.

“Turkish Airlines has been operating in Nigeria for almost 20 years and was our first destination in sub-Saharan Africa; currently, we run daily flights to Lagos and four flights weekly to Abuja,” he said.

Speaking on the airline’s commitment to quality and growth, Balkan said that the company remained unfazed in spite of the influx of new competitors in the Nigerian airspace.

He cited its recent title as “Expatriate Airline of the Year” in Lagos as a proof of local trust.

Balkan said the company would double down on “service localisation.”

This, he said, was by integrating Nigerian flavours and culture into its global offering to stay ahead of rising competition from the Middle East and European rivals.

He added that to maintain these standards, the airline performs regular audits of its Nigerian operations.

On redefining the Nigerian passenger experience, Balkan said Turkish Airlines would integrate its services into a single ecosystem to meet the digital-first expectations of modern travellers.

He added that through the Turkish Airlines Holidays platform, passengers can now manage flights, hotels, and ground services in one place.

Balkan, however, noted that the airline’s differentiator remains its physical service

“In Nigeria, this has taken a localised turn: localised dining by introducing four rotating monthly menus in Economy Class specifically for Nigerian routes, featuring locally inspired dishes,” he said.

He noted that the company was promoting cultural integration through inbound tourism by adding Nollywood films to its Inflight Entertainment system.

Balkan added that the airline displays promotional videos of Nigeria’s heritage to millions of global passengers.

He also mentioned transit perks such as the airlines “Stopover” programme and “Touristanbul” to allow Nigerian travellers to turn layovers into mini-vacations without requiring a transit visa.

“Our commitment to delivering personalised service and exceeding customer expectations sets us apart.

“Winning ‘World’s Best Business Class Onboard Catering’ at Skytrax 2025 demonstrates our commitment to a delicious travel experience on every flight,” he said.

On mutually beneficial trade relationships between Nigeria and the Republic of Turkey, he said the airline would continue to push for a global gateway for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

He said the airlines network, spanning 132 countries and 356 destinations—a feat recognised by the Guinness World Records, has positioned Istanbul as the primary gateway for Nigerian entrepreneurs.

He highlighted that Istanbul’s strategic location offers Nigerian SMEs “unparalleled connectivity” to six continents and Turkish Airlines was playing a big role to facilitate that.

Balkan added that Turkish Airlines was facilitating meetings between the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies and Turkish tourism boards.

According to him, the carrier is actively building a bilateral trade corridor that extends beyond simple ticket sales.

He disclosed that the airline recorded 92.6 million passengers, 273.2 billion available seat kilometers and 83.2 per cent load factor in 2025.

He also disclosed that the airline had a designated cargo plane to facilitate trade between both countries. (NAN)