Under the glow of moody red lighting at the Design Exchange in downtown Toronto, Turkish Airlines toasted the trade’s success Monday night (June 2) at its Agency Awards Gala.
The industry event brought together the airline’s top-performing travel agencies, wholesalers, air consolidators, corporate partners, and industry leaders for an evening of celebration, connection, and Turkish delight.
Following a three-course dinner and a live performance of Turkish folk songs by a trio of singing musicians playing instruments such as the piano, violin, tanbur, baglama, and oud, Turkish Airlines paid tribute to its Canadian partners—acknowledging them as a key force behind the airline’s global success.
With scheduled services to 353 destinations, in 131 countries, across six continents, Turkish Airlines has solidified its place as the world’s most far-reaching airline. The carrier, notably, holds the Guinness World Record for the “Most Countries Flown to by an Airline.”
“And Canada remains a critical part of our story,” said Fatih Durmaz, vice-president of sales, North America, addressing the fashionably-clad audience from a podium on stage.
A strong 2024
The night unfolded on the heels of Turkish Airlines celebrating its 15th anniversary of flying between Toronto and Istanbul, a bustling city in Türkiye that straddles Europe and Asia across the Bosphorus Strait.
Currently, the airline operates 12 flights out of Canada – three from Vancouver, and six from Toronto, and three from Montreal.
According to Durmaz, the routes have performed exceptionally well, with 2024 marking a record-breaking year for Turkish Airlines in Canada.
The airline’s daily summer flights between Toronto and Istanbul, operating from June through October, delivered the strongest performance metrics to date, he said, adding that 2024’s passenger traffic grew by 15 per cent. Turkish Airlines also carried approximately 41 per cent of passengers on this route, outperforming all other carriers.
Travel demand to Türkiye also remained strong last year, with 302,728 Canadian passport holders visiting by year’s end—an increase of 22 percent compared to the previous year, Durmaz said.
From June to October last year, Turkish Airlines’ Toronto flights achieved an average load factor 92 per cent, and a seasonal average of 88 per cent, he said.
“These are not just numbers,” Durmaz told the room. “They are indicators of growing demand…and our shared success.”
Calls for more frequency
Turkish Airlines has been working to increase flight frequency between Türkiye and Canada, though the process has proven challenging
Earlier this year, the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) denied an application from the airline to operate five additional weekly flights between Türkiye and Canada for summer 2025.
Turkish Airlines was seeking to operate one additional frequency between Istanbul and Toronto, two from Istanbul to Montreal, and one to Vancouver April 1 and October 31.
Last year, the CTA approved one extra frequency to the carrier, to Toronto, between May 1 and October 31, 2024.
Despite the setback, Turkish Airlines remains committed to expanding its footprint in Canada.
“We believe this expansion is not only operationally sound, but also economically beneficial for Turkish Airlines, for Canadian consumers, for Ontario’s tourism sector and for all our partners in this room,” Durmaz said.
Demand is “massive”
Speaking to PAX at a pre-awards cocktail party, where a “Chef” roamed the room distributing Turkish delights (a jellied Turkish candy), Tarique Anwar, regional corporate sales manager at Turkish Airlines, said the demand in Canada for Türkiye is “massive.”
“We’re trying to make the government understand that if we increase our frequency, the fare will be good for [passengers] to travel to Istanbul and beyond,” he said.
He noted that Turkish Airlines’ standout feature is the exceptional onboard service passengers receive.
“Once a person experiences the service on Turkish Airlines, they’re a fan,” he said.
From bowling to business class
Natalie Wieder, a travel advisor with Corporate Traveller Canada, affirmed this.
Wieder was recently selected to experience Turkish Airlines’ business class on a flight from Toronto to Istanbul after winning a global bowling competition hosted by the airline.
Her agency represented Toronto in the Canadian round, which also included matches in Vancouver and Montreal. After her team claimed the national title, Wieder travelled to Istanbul in early May to represent Canada at an international gathering of travel advisors from 76 countries.
“The Turkish Airlines experience was amazing,” Wieder told PAX last night. “In Business Class, they use trolleys for serving both meals and desserts. You could pick whatever you wanted. They have fully lie-flat seats that they dress for you – they literally make your bed. It was fantastic service from start to finish.’
Wieder also raved about the Turkish Airlines lounge access at Istanbul airport.
“It had food stations with chefs, a golf simulator, a flight simulator, a whisky bar…it puts Toronto Pearson to shame!” she said.
Update on Turkish Airlines Holidays
The event comes just as Turkish Airlines brings its all-in-one vacation planning platform, Turkish Airlines Holidays, to the Canadian market.
With the rollout, travellers in Canada (and the U.S.) will be able to book complete vacation packages—flights, accommodations, tours, activities, rental cars, airport transfers, travel insurance, and more—through a dedicated website.
The platform is currently designed for direct-to-consumer use – but a B2B component, for travel advisors, is also in the works.
Anwar confirmed that the airline is growing the Turkish Airlines platform, and in due time, “it will be available to everyone.”
And the winners are…
Which companies were honoured by Turkish Airlines? Here’s the list of last night’s winners:
- Top Performer – Touristanbul: Cedar Travel
- Top Performer – Stopover: Gala Travels
- Highest Increase in Sales: Voyzant Travel
- Top Performer – Leisure: Uniglobe
- Top Performer – Corporate: Flight Centre
- Top Performer – Group: International Travel
- Top Performer – Istanbul: Voyages à la Carte
- Top Performer – Economy Class: Royal Scenic Holidays
- Top Performer – Business Class: Voyzant Travel
- Top Performer of the Year: Voyages à la Carte
Appreciation Awards:
- Skybird Travel
- Riya Travel
- Maureen K Travel
- Westend Travel
- Atlas Travel
- Travel Brands – Air Booking Centre
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