Turkish Airlines (TK, Istanbul Airport) aims to complete the certification of AnadoluJet (Ankara Esenboga) by the Summer 2024 season, when the low-cost carrier will begin operating as a separate entity, Chief Financial Officer Murat Seker said during a quarterly earnings call.
The Turkish flag carrier incorporated AJet Hava Taşımacılığı Anonim Şirketi as a new, wholly-owned subsidiary on August 7, 2023. Until now, AnadoluJet was a division of Turkish Airlines with no separate corporate identity. Seker said that the group would announce the branding of the carrier as a stand-alone firm in the coming months. Turkish Airlines' quarterly investor presentation included AnadoluJet's existing logo.
AnadoluJet will apply for its own Air Operator's Certificate and Operating Licence shortly.
Even though the division already operates 69 aircraft and has its own staff, certification would nonetheless involve drawing up new procedures and manuals.
Turkish Airlines is betting heavily on AnadoluJet, a carrier targeting budget-conscious passengers and ethnic traffic, as an engine for regional growth. It plans to increase the division's fleet to 88 aircraft by the end of 2023, even before it is fully spun off.
