Turkish Airlines reports $226 million net income in first quarter

ISTANBUL

Turkish Airlines posted a net income of $226 million in the first quarter of 2026, reversing a net loss of $44 million in the same period last year.

The national carrier’s total revenue rose 21.1 percent year-on-year to $5.92 billion between January and March. Passenger revenue climbed 20 percent to $4.7 billion, while cargo revenue surged 29.5 percent to $987 million. Technical revenue increased 4.3 percent to $147 million.

Losses from main operations narrowed to $57 million in the January-March period, compared with $76 million in the first quarter of 2025.

Fuel expenses, which accounted for 25.4 percent of total costs, rose 14.9 percent to $1.55 billion. Personnel costs saw a sharper increase of 27.3 percent, reaching $1.66 billion.

Turkish Airlines ranks first globally in international destinations, serving 305 cities across 132 countries. As of March, its fleet comprised 528 aircraft, including 144 wide-body, 356 narrow-body and 28 cargo planes.

In 2025, the airline reported a net income of $2.9 billion, down 15.1 percent from the previous year, despite a 6.3 percent rise in total revenue to $24.1 billion.