Following the collapse of the European ’'s Future Combat Air System (FCAS) program, a new German-led fighter jet initiative is taking shape.
A consortium of eight Airbus-led companies, dubbed ’Team Gen 6‘, will be operational in Berlin’ on Thursday, aviation giant AFP’ye said.
The alliance aims to develop a new generation of fighter jets, and more details are expected to be revealed at the signing ceremony to be held during the ILA air show in the German capital of ’.
The initiative comes after months of tension between Airbus and French manufacturer Dassault, with Berlin and Paris’ abandoning the FCAS project on Monday.
Airbus said the companies had submitted a position document summarizing the visions of German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius’a sixth-generation fighter jets.
The consortium is urging the German government to ensure that contracts are made in “tam and on time by the second half of 2026, the news agency reported, citing access to the newspaper.
A source involved in the project said the agreement could be signed privately by participating companies as early as Wednesday.
Germany will largely lead the “Team Gen 6” project.
In addition to Airbus’, the alliance includes European missile manufacturer MBDA and six German companies: Hensoldt, Diehl Defence, MTU Aero Engines, Liebherr, Autoflug and Rohde & Schwarz.
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius told reporters on Tuesday that the project was “ak-prone and a possibility”, but Berlin’in said it was considering alternatives, including buying additional US-made F-35 fighter jets or participating in other aircraft development programs.
Pistorius said “ talks with various ” stakeholders on the issue had been going on for months.
Problems within FCAS culminated in the summer of 2025 when Dassault’ pushed for more control of the program, angering politicians and Airbus executives at Berlin’.
Launched in 2017 and joined by Spain’ in 2019, FCAS was seen as the flagship project of European defence cooperation. Its collapse is seen as a failure to strengthen European ’'s military capabilities in the face of growing security threats from Russia’.
A consortium led by Airbus has proposed to develop a next-generation fighter following the collapse of its high-profile Franco-German fighter program, one of the companies involved told AFP news agency on Tuesday.
The move comes a day after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron’. After years of disagreements, he ended the original project.between industrial partners.
Munich-based defence electronics company Hensoldt said it has joined forces with Airbus Defence and Space, Autoflug, Diehl Defence, Rohde & Schwarz, Liebherr, MBDA and MTU Aero Engines to prepare an alternative plan.
A company spokesperson said the proposal was submitted to German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius’. The Financial Times, which first reported the initiative, said the initiative was also sent to Merz’in's office.
The companies are preparing a joint position document on the “ Future Combat Air System (FCAS) and the relevant Next Generation Weapon System (NGWS), ” said.
More details are expected during the announcement to be made at the Berlin ILA Air Show’ on Thursday.
EuropeA setback for ’'s defence integration
The German defence ministry confirmed the existence of the proposal. Pistorius, Berlin’in “, said ” was evaluating which direction we were going.
“We have also been discussing this issue with various stakeholders for months, ” added.
Pistorius said “ suffered from the collapse of the original Franco-German project.
I know how important French-German cooperation is in the European “, but ultimately you have to draw a line between the mind and the heart, ’ said.
The FCAS programme was seen as a flagship European defence project aimed at strengthening military co-operation at a time when the European ’ was facing increasingly tense relations with a more assertive Russia and the United States.
However, the initiative was hampered by long-standing disagreements between French Dassault Aviation and Airbus, Germany’'s leading industrial partner and a key partner in Spain’'s FCAS programme.
German partners opposed Dassault’'s efforts to gain greater control over the construction of the aircraft.
Merz also argued that Germany ’, unlike France ’, does not need warplanes capable of carrying nuclear weapons or working with aircraft carriers.
Wizz Air has announced an agreement with Elon Musk’'s Starlink’ to bring satellite internet to its entire fleet starting in 2027’, joining a wave of European carriers adopting technology that has so far drastically exceeded the market's budget limit.
Ian Malin, commercial manager of Wizz Air’, said “Ultra low-cost travel has always been about making opportunities accessible to more people. “2027In ’, we bring this philosophy to the space age.”
Working on a low-cost model, Eurowings’in is also expected to begin rolling out Starlink’ later this year as part of a group-wide agreement announced by parent company Lufthansa Group.
Whether this really comes first among Wizz Air’i ultra-low-cost budget carriers is about how tightly you draw the line.
The Hungarian airline did not disclose the financial terms of the agreement and did not confirm whether the service will be offered for free or as a paid add-on; This is a detail that can be important for its cost-conscious passengers.
The announcement comes at a time when Starlink’in parent company SpaceX’in is preparing for its debut at Nasdaq’ta and the satellite internet provider continues to rapidly expand its footprint in aviation.
Starlink has signed agreements with several U.S. ’ airlines, including American Airlines, Southwest, United and Alaska Airlines’, as well as long-haul flight operators Singapore Airlines and Emirates’.
Europe’da service February 2025The first Latvian airline to launch ’te was airBaltic, followed by Air France, SAS and British Airways.
In Asia’, the South Korean Hanjin Group, which includes Korean Air, Asiana Airlines and three affordable carriers, announced a Starlink agreement in December 2025’, and the launch is expected to take place from the third quarter of 2026’.
Budget rivals Ryanair and EasyJet have lagged behind so far. Ryanair general manager Michael O’Leary has declined this service for now due to installation costs, fuel consumption and the airline's short average flight time.
EasyJet has been in talks with Starlink, but said the economy has not yet recovered.
Wizz Air’in's results for the fiscal year 2026, which ends March 31 in ’, will be announced on Thursday (June 11th). The airline said it expects to make a head-to-head or slightly positive profit for the entire year.
Demand for air travel is strong and revenues are growing in the airline industry, but profits are expected to halve by 2026, as rising jet fuel prices affect companies worldwide, according to the International Air Transport Association ’ne (IATA).
This is global air traffic. %It is mentioned in the latest financial outlook of the trading establishment, which represents the 370 airlines that make up 85’ini.
Worldwide airlines are expected to generate a total net profit of $23 billion (euro 20 billion) by 2026; This is roughly half of the previously projected $41 billion (36 billion euros) and the estimated $45 billion (39 billion euros) in 2025.
This is the annual %2.4 increase to a record 5.1 billion passengers and sector revenues %It rose 9.4 percent to $1.165 trillion (€1.01 trillion).
Willie Walsh, IATA Managing Director, “, said that war-related disruptions and rising fuel costs in the Middle East’ have worsened the look of airlines.
At the same time, the industry's fuel bill has grown from $252 billion in 2025’ (€219 billion) to almost $252 billion in 2026’. increased to 350 billion dollars (304 billion euros), while operating expenses also increased compared to last year. %It is expected to increase by 13 to $1.12 trillion (970 billion euros). Fuel is therefore expected to account for almost a third of airlines' operating costs.
Despite airlines meeting part of the increase in jet fuel prices and continuing efforts to increase efficiency, net profit margins are expected to increase in 2025. %The 4.2 ’den %It's expected to drop to 2.0’.
Walsh, “While air fares are rising, airlines are still covering some of that increase in terms of profitability, ” said. “ added that net profit per passenger is expected to fall to $4.50, which is half of last year, and that's not enough to even buy you hot dogs at most FIFA World Cup venues, ” added, adding that airlines have little buffer to deal with if other costs or taxes start to rise.
In addition to spending on cleaner fuels and carbon offsetting plans, higher aircraft rental and maintenance costs are also expected to put pressure on the industry. IATA also cited the slowdown in global growth, rising inflation and weak world trade as additional pressures on the sector.
The regional comparison
The regional picture is highly unstable. Gulf airlines are among the airlines facing the biggest financial impact at the heart of the conflict. IATA estimates that they are expected to enter the loss zone due to weak demand and operational disruption. All other regions are expected to continue to be profitable, albeit at lower levels than the previous year.
Avrupa’ is also expected to be under significant cost pressure due to its excessive dependence on jet fuel imports from Körfez’.
IATA, “Pre-crisis risk protection rate of fuel needs %Although some of this has been mitigated thanks to meeting the 70’ini, higher costs will arise as hedging measures are eliminated, ” said.
European airlines benefited from the fact that some passengers bypassed the centers of the Gulf, switching to direct routes between Europe and Asia. But as airspace restrictions over Russia continue to disrupt operations, slowing economic growth and rising energy costs are expected to put pressure on consumer spending.
Airlines in Europe’ also face rising costs due to environmental regulations, airport fees and air traffic control fees. Combined with repeated industrial actions in many countries, these pressures can leave carriers in the region at a competitive disadvantage even after market conditions stabilize.
The rise in jet fuel prices has become a primary concern for the European travel industry as Lufthansa’ finds itself at the center of this crisis.
According to Lufthansa’'s latest earnings report, the airline expects an additional €1.7 billion ($2 billion) in 2026 as rising jet fuel prices continue to put pressure on the sector. $) The cost of fuel is waiting for the load.
The need to avoid certain airspaces led to longer flight times, which naturally increased consumption. These adjusted routes also require more staff hours and higher maintenance cycles, adding layers of complexity to the already strained global supply chain.
As reported by Euronews’, global airlines cancelled nearly 13,000 flights this May, while Lufthansa canceled 20,000 short-haul flights by October in an effort to reduce fuel consumption alone.
This reduction in capacity is a direct response to the unsustainable cost of operating older, less fuel-efficient aircraft during peak prices.
Although Lufthansa has managed to remain profitable, increases in jet fuel prices have forced the company to advise passengers to book their holidays as early as possible so as not to pay any further surcharges.
The company is currently investing heavily in the “filo modernization” program to reduce these risks over the long term, but the direct impact of fuel fluctuation continues to weigh on the balance sheet.
Lufthansa remains committed to its financial goals, but volatility in the global oil market remains the biggest variable in its 2026 outlook.
CFO Till Streichert, “We are pleased with the first quarter […] but also the current situation forces us to meticulously examine every available tool to reduce costs, increase efficiency and reduce risks to maintain our ability to act decisively. Our annual profit will probably be lower than initially predicted, ” said.
GermanyLufthansa aircraft parked at the airport in Frankfurt, ’, 12 March 2026
The Lufthansa Group announced a significant financial performance in 2025, revealing the highest revenue in its history. Income, compared to the previous year %5 increase to 39.6 billion Euro’.
According to the latest figures, the airline group also reported operating profit compared to 2024. %He saw a 20 increase, which underlined the strong recovery in passenger demand.
2026In the first quarter of ’, IranDespite the difficulties associated with the conflict involving ’, annual income %8 is increased; This includes variable jet fuel prices and additional costs of €1.7 billion, resulting from the suspension of dozens of routes.
The company has generally kept its capacity stable, with slight growth in long-distance traffic compensating for capacity drops in the short and medium-distance segments.
Lufthansa Technik and Lufthansa Cargo also contributed significantly to the increase in demand for maintenance, repair and overhaul services, as well as the marketing of the ITA Airways ’ cargo area.
With the Lufthansa Group again expecting a strong summer travel season, global demand for air travel remains high and continues to prove its resilience even in times of crisis.
CEO Carsten Spohr, “, said: "In the first quarter, we saw a significant improvement over the previous year's financial results […], but the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, coupled with rising fuel costs and operational constraints, creates enormous challenges for the world as a whole, global air travel and our company.
Spohr, “However, we are resilient about our ability to absorb these effects. This applies to both our above-average protection against fuel price fluctuations and our multi-center, multi-airline strategy, which gives us more flexibility in our route network and fleet development.
Ryanair, the largest airline in ’, Germany, plans to stop seven aircraft operations in the ’ capital on October 24, and will soon say goodbye to the Berlin base.
The carrier noted that air traffic fell from 36 million passengers in 2019’ to 26 million last year, calling Berlin’i “European’'s most unsuccessful airport.
The budget airline said in a statement that all seven aircraft based in “Berlin will be re-allocated to lower-cost airports in other EU countries that, in this case, lift aviation taxes, such as Sweden, Slovakia, Albania and Italy.
Ryanair has counted the number of flights it operates from Berlin’e and Berlin’e in its winter program. %He's gonna cut it by 50.
The carrier's complaints also stem from people's frustration with the German commercial aviation model, which Ryanair DAC CEO Eddie Wilson ’ describes as the ’aptal aviation tax regime“, which relies largely on high taxes.
Wilson also accused German aviation of being the “bozuk” due to the lack of an exit plan for lowering aviation taxes or high airport fees.
“Ryanair had to stop all flights to Dresden, Leipzig and Dortmund’a since 2019’, as well as close their bases in Frankfurt, Düsseldorf and Stuttgart’ (which resulted in the loss of 13 aircraft), added ”.
According to the carrier, the aviation tax has doubled since 2019’ from 7.30 Euro’ to 15.50 Euro’ per passenger, safety fees are expected to increase from 2024’te 10 Euro’ to 20 Euro’ per passenger by January 2028’, air traffic control fees have tripled to 3.30 Euro’ per passenger and have already increased since the Covid-19 period in addition to increased airport fees as of 2029 %An increase of 10’ will come into effect.
It seems that this feeling was a surprise for Berlin Brandenburg Airport.
In a statement via airport X, “Ryanair said ’ was surprised by ”'s announcement at this point. We're still in talks with “ Airlines. No increase in airport fares is planned.”
The budget carrier's announcement also comes after the German Federal Cabinet's Ministry of Finance confirmed ’'s plans to roll back its flight taxes (Luftverkehrsteuer) to 2024 levels.
In the ministry's statement, “, the Federal Ministry of Finance, considers it important to transfer discounts to passengers, ” said.
Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu came together with senior executives of THY, AJet, Pegasus and SunExpress Airlines in Istanbul and discussed the general situation of Turkish civil aviation in internal and external lines and its future predictions.
Minister Uraloğlu, in his press statement after the meeting, ⁇ We discussed the lack of flights in our country and how we can eliminate these deficiencies, especially by focusing on the issue of internal border flights. ⁇ said.
⁇ WE SHOW SENSITIVITY TO MAKE FLIGHT NUMBERS CONSISTENT, ACTIVE AND EFFICIENT ⁇
Minister Uraloğlu stated that airline enterprises are commercial organizations operating on the principles of free market, ⁇ Betting on starting a flight on a line on normal bases, increasing the number of flights, making ticket discounts or campaigns is at the sole discretion of the enterprises. However, as we do today as the Ministry, we carry out systematic consultations with airline operators and convey our evaluations for regions where demand is heavy in the country and ensure that the necessary plans are made.
Especially in summer periods, we receive requests from our citizens to increase the number of flights due to the number and density of flights. Because, we show a special sensitivity to make the number of flights to every point of Turkey stable, active and efficient. He used his words.
⁇ RECOVERY OF 139 THOUSAND 103 PASSENGER CAPACITY WITH 670 PASSENGER FLIGHTS IN THE FILOS OF AIRLINE BUSINESSES ⁇
Stating that 14 airline companies licensed in Turkey operate and 4 of them operate internal line passenger flights, Minister Uraloğlu said, ⁇ The airline companies in our country have a capacity of 139 thousand 103 passengers with a total of 670 passenger aircraft in their fleets. Today we carry an average of 207 passengers per plane.
Of course, we didn't come easy these days. On May 20, 1933, with the decision of the Airline State Enterprise Administration under the Ministry of National Defense to start service, our first fleet of 4 aircraft started to operate under the name of Turkish Air Mail.
Turkish Air Mail, which started to flap its wings by making its first flight in 1933, has now taken almost the whole world under its wings under the name of Turkish Airlines.
If you ask about the first commercial airport, I can tell you the area called Güvercinlik today in Ankara ⁇ . As for the terminal, there was nothing but a few tents. However, today, we have 58 airports with Çukurova International Airport, which we opened on August 10. Our Istanbul Airport, which we opened in 2018, continues to maintain the first place it has had for years as the heaviest airport in Europe. He said it.
100 of the Republic. PASSENGER RECORD OF ALL CASH WAS BREAKED IN 2023
Reminding that 399 passengers traveled by air in 1939 compared to the first statistic shared by the State Statistical Institute in 1939, Minister Uraloğlu said that after 1985, the number of external borders passengers exceeded the number of internal lines passengers, and after 1990, we observe that the increase in the number of external lines passengers reached striking dimensions.
When we come to 2002, while approximately 8 million 730 thousand passengers are traveling at the internal borders, we see that this number has risen to more than 25 million in the outer lines. That is, in 2002, we had about 34 million passengers traveling along the inner and outer lines.
We see that our number of airline passengers has steadily increased in parallel with the development of our aviation department since 2002 until 2020, when we experienced the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Of course, there is a decrease in these years due to the epidemic effect. However, in 2023, the centenary of our Republic, we have broken the record of all times by carrying more than 214 million passengers.
At the end of the year, we predict that our number of passengers will rise to the top of 236 million.
Uraloğlu noted that the number of flights including transit overpasses at the Turkish airport in 2023 increased by 14.9 percent compared to the previous year and increased to 2 million 167 thousand 19 ⁇ a, Thus, in 2023, a plane passed through the skies of Turkey every 15 seconds.
We will reach much higher prices than these statistics this year and in the coming periods; By the end of this year, we expect our passenger numbers to exceed 236 million and 250 million by 2025. I think that one of the most striking examples of the expression ⁇ from where ⁇ , which is frequently expressed by our President, is our increasing number of passengers in parallel with the development in our airline department. ⁇ He spoke on condition.
⁇ BY THE END OF THIS YEAR, OUR NUMBER OF FLIGHT POINTS ON EXTERNAL LIMITS WILL BE 349 ⁇ A
Uraloğlu noted that there are currently an average of 7 thousand weekly reciprocal flights by carriers at internal borders and an average of 20 thousand flights at external borders. ⁇ At this point, as the Ministry, we continue to provide the necessary supplements in the internal lines as we help airline businesses to increase flights at external points.
For example, as a result of our long-term negotiations, with the prestige of Santiago ⁇ ya, the capital city of Chile, on December 18, 2024, we start flights with THY as 4 weekly frequencies on the Istanbul-Sao Paolo (Brazil)-Santiago line. Thus, it will be your first time to Chile. On the other hand, THY will start flights on the Istanbul-Kuala Lumpur-Sydney border with its historical prestige on December 4, 2024.
Following the Melbourne flights that started this year, Sydney will be the second new point we will open in the Australian continent. Thus, at the end of this year, our number of flight points at the external borders will increase to 349 ⁇ . ⁇ He said it.
⁇ 2025 TRAVEL NUMBERS WILL BE INCREASED IN LINES WHICH HAVE PRIOR REQUIREMENTS FOR THE SUMMER PERIOD ⁇
Minister Uraloğlu, domestic lines, in the middle of cities with a travel time of at least 5 hours or more by road or train, at least one flight every day in the morning and evening, and the previous period, the season occupancy average of more than 95 percent, mentioning that plans were made on the side of putting an additional flight, ⁇ Now, businesses will start feasibility studies as soon as possible in lines with priority need for the summer term of 2025 and the number of flights will be increased. We, as the Ministry, will be a follower of whether our airline companies have increased the number of flights in line with this planning we have made. ⁇ He used his words.
12 NEW INTERIOR LIMITS WILL BE STARTED AT THE END OF OCTOBER
Uraloğlu stated that in the summer period of 2024, the average occupancy of carriers in Turkey was at 90 percent. This level is 85% in the winter period due to the decrease in mobility. However, as I have just stated, we have given the necessary notifications to increase the flights to our businesses at the points of need in line with the demands from our citizens.
As a result of the evaluation we made at our meeting, I would like to share here the announcement that 12 new domestic border flights will be started by Sunexpress Airlines with the prestige of the end of October in the coming winter period as a result of the studies we started earlier. ⁇ He said it.
RIZE-ARTVIN AIRPORT-ANTALYA EXPERIENCES START
Minister Uraloğlu, who gave information about the new expeditions, We are launching Rize-Artvin Airport-Antalya, Antalya-Bursa, Antalya-Erzurum, Antalya-Şanlıurfa, İzmir-Elazığ, İzmir-Nevşehir, İzmir-Sivas, İzmir-Şanlıurfa, Çukurova-Bursa, Çukurova-Samsun, Çukurova-Trabzon and Çukurova-Van.
With these flights, we will also expand the domestic border flight network of Çukurova International Airport, which we have just opened.
I wish him well already. Just like Izmir and Antalya ⁇ yi, Anadolu ⁇ da, which received many demands from our citizens at the same time, especially during the summer period; We will connect Bursa, Erzurum, Sivas, Nevşehir, Elazığ, Şanlıurfa cities and increase the number of flights on some borders. ⁇ He used his expressions.
⁇ WE WILL OFFER A MORE ACCESSIBLE AND REACHABLE AIR TRANSPORT TO OUR CITIZENS ⁇
Uraloğlu stated that they also discussed the status of the flights requested urgently at the meeting, ⁇ We have evaluated our domestic border flights based on lines, especially in our provinces based in Istanbul and Ankara, where there is only one flight per day or there are no flights every day of the week. In the next period, I believe that precedent campaigns will increase rapidly within our internal borders.
Our airline companies will complete their feasibility studies as soon as possible and inform our Ministry at which points and how many times they will increase their domestic border flights. After this study, if necessary, we will come together with businesses once again and reveal our roadmap in a clearer form. In this way, we will offer our citizens a more accessible and accessible air transportation. ⁇ He said it.
CEILING PRICE APPLICATION SHOULD BE TRAVELED IN A TIGHT WAY
Uraloğlu said that one of the valuable agenda elements of the meeting was the ceiling price application applied in airline transportation, As you know, since 2012, we have been applying a ceiling price in order for our citizens not to be victims and for each part to be able to use the airway.
Since August; We apply a ceiling price of 2 thousand 500 liras for 80 percent of the tickets on a flight and 4 thousand liras for the remaining 20 percent as a result of the sale of these tickets.
In our meeting, we reminded our businesses once again to comply with the ceiling price application in a strict form. Whether our citizens are happy, we are also tightly controlling this application. ⁇ He used his expressions.
When Western countries announced that they would impose sanctions on Russia, which occupied Ukraine, the Kremlin responded by banning all European and North American airlines from flying over Russia.
Virgin Atlantic has cancelled flights from London to Shanghai, while British Airways has suspended flights from London to Beijing.
According to sources working in the field of air transport, one of the reasons behind this was the Russian airspace ban and the extra cost it brought to the airlines.
However, the ban imposed by Moscow did not apply to Chinese-based airlines. As a result, Chinese companies, which aim to expand globally, have managed to take away a significant portion of their Western competitors' market share.
However, considering that China's economic growth slowed after the pandemic, the expected improvement in air transportation could not be achieved at the desired level. On the other hand, geopolitical tensions between China and the United States have caused some airlines to have to restrain their targets.
The right to use Russian airspace, which Western companies do not have, and cheap costs give China-based airlines a huge advantagePhoto: Zhao Zishuo/Xinhua/IMAGO
The price of passing Russia ⁇ tangent
John Grant, chief analyst at OAG ⁇ , the company that collects data in the aviation field, says the Russian airspace ban is a big problem for airlines. Grant stated that under normal conditions, Beijing could be reached and returned from England within 24 hours, and flights to Beijing and Shanghai allowed an aircraft to be evaluated effectively. However, the airspace ban required five and a half hours to be added to that period. That's a big problem for us, he says.
Grant said that this extra time spent in the air means extra fuel and salary costs for airlines, and he emphasized that more should be paid for airports with heavy traffic.
The Qantas riddle
Australia-based airline Qantas ⁇ 's announcement in July that they had ended flights on the Sydney-Shanghai line, although the Russian airspace ban did not affect them, raised questions for many.
Yi Gao, who works in the field of aviation and transportation technologies at Purdue University in Indiana, USA, points out that Qantas ⁇ 's flights to mainland China have always been ⁇ limited ⁇ . Gao is of the opinion that it would be a wrong approach to conclude that the recent interruptions in the flights of Western airlines to China are widespread.
In the face of this, Gao points out that Chinese companies are becoming increasingly competitive with Western companies, and this has an impact on the decisions of Western companies. In his assessment of DW ⁇ ye, Gao said that the competition brought by ⁇ Chinese airlines plays a vital role. Taking advantage of the cost advantage, Chinese airlines are able to offer attractive prices on flights from Chinese cities and to Chinese cities, he says.
The fact that the Australian-based airline Qantas ⁇ has stopped flights to Çin ⁇ e despite being able to fly in Russian airspace says a lot about the growth of Chinese companiesPhoto: PETER PARKS/AFP/Getty Images
Singapore-based aviation analyst Brendan Sobie likewise says that growing competition is behind Qantas ⁇ 's decision. Speaking to DW ⁇ ye, Sobie says ⁇ Qantas has a hard time competing with Chinese airlines ⁇ . Pointing out that the demand for travel has also increased during this period, which has returned to the conditions before the pandemic, Sobie says that Chinese companies have turned this into an advantage:
In the few years before the pandemic, Chinese airlines were aiming for a strategic expansion into international markets. After the pandemic, we see the same thing coming back. Many people want to put the responsibility on the issue of Russian airspace, and this is definitely a decisive factor for foreign airlines. However, I think that the rise of Chinese companies will happen without a Russian air ban.
Pandemic hits Chinese aviation
Chinese airlines have increased the volume of flights to European cities such as Istanbul, London, Budapest, Madrid and Milan since 2019. Apart from the North American and Indian markets, Sobie points out that the international capacity of Chinese companies is returning to the pre-pandemic era.
The pandemic had dealt a major blow to China's aerospace ambitions. Months before the virus took over the world, Beijing Daxing International Airport opened with great enthusiasm. On the other hand, Chinese people who travel abroad have been at the top of the list of those who spend money on international tourism and airlines in the world for years. However, severe pandemic restrictions imposed by the government severely hampered the Chinese's chances of traveling by 2023.
John Grant, ⁇ China ⁇ 's goal was to create a ⁇ hub ⁇ in Beijing Daxing ⁇ , followed by a ⁇ hub ⁇ in Shanghai. There, domestic flights were planned to be connected with international flights, and even international flights were planned to be connected with other international flights. However, the pandemic has destroyed these targets, he says.
Nevertheless, the attractiveness of the international flight capacity and prices of China-based airlines to Chinese consumers, coupled with the pressure on Western-based airlines, has enabled China to increase its market share in the field of air transportation.
Although Chinese travel abroad has increased in 2024, pre-pandemic conditions have still not been achieved. Tyrone Siu and Reuters
The U.S. and China: The planes are still in the hangar.
While it is observed that Chinese companies are increasingly opening up to Europe, the same cannot be said for the North American market. The two main reasons for this are the weakness of the competitiveness of Chinese companies in this market and the geopolitical tension between the US and China.
As Beijing tightened border controls with the pandemic, travel opportunities between the U.S. and China disappeared. Although China is keen to resume flights between the two countries, the number of flights available between the two countries today is 15% of the number in 2019.
Washington, on the other hand, is not warm enough to increase flights. In an environment where geopolitical competition is intensified, the US is afraid that this step will give Chinese airlines more advantages than American companies. U.S.-based airlines such as Grant, United, Delta and American have no interest in flying China more than they currently do. Just as European companies have no interest, they evaluate ⁇ .
While aviation experts agree that post-pandemic travel habits and geopolitical issues will continue to determine the relationship between Western-based airlines and China, the Chinese market remains important to major players. Grant believes that Lufthansa, Air France and British Airways will want to resume flights to Beijing in the long run:
In time, they will all want to return to the Chinese market. Although China has not grown as much as everyone expects, it is still a big market.
LOGISTECH ⁇ Logistics, Storage and Technologies Fair, hosted by Izmir Metropolitan Municipality and organized by İZFAŞ for the third time this year, welcomes its visitors at Fuar İzmir ⁇ . During the Presidents' Session held within the scope of the fair, it was emphasized that logistics infrastructure investments should be completed in order to increase Turkey's logistics performance and its power to be a transfer center.
Within the scope of LOGISTECH ⁇ Logistics, Storage and Technologies Fair, which was organized by İZFAŞ for the third time this year between 11 and 13 September, hosted by Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, a Presidents Session was held under the chairmanship of Mihri Çelik, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors of IMEAK Chamber of Shipping Izmir Branch. The speakers drew attention to the importance of projects that will connect our country to global transportation corridors, especially the Development Road, and stated that the geographical advantage can be turned into a logistical opportunity with digital technology and green transformation. Turkish Airlines (THY) Cargo Sales Vice President Ahmet Kaya, International Transport and Logistics Service Providers Association (UTIKAD) Chairman Bilgehan Engin, Turkish Port Operators Association (TÜRKLİM) Chairman Hamdi Erçelik and Izmir Maritime Transporters Association (DND) Chairman Şükriye Vardar took part in the session as speakers.
⁇ Demand for air cargo increased ⁇
Expressing that the demand for cargo transportation increased with the effect of changing consumption habits and e-commerce after the pandemic, THY Cargo Vice President of Sales Ahmet Kaya, ⁇ E-commerce increased with the pandemic and was one of the main factors that revived air cargo transportation. Demand for air cargo services, especially related to last-minute deliveries and rapidly rotating stocks, has increased. Turkey's geographical position has a very important role in the supply flow. Istanbul Airport has become one of the most modern, important and largest air hubs in the world. THY has the largest flight network in the world. In addition, we play a very serious leverage role in terms of increasing Turkey's foreign trade capacity with the opportunities, quality services, growing cargo operations.
⁇ Turkey can move above its target location ⁇
Stating that developments such as the breakdown of the pandemic process in global supply chains, the concept of close supply, local production processes, what happened between China and the USA, Russia ⁇ Ukraine war, the Suez Canal incident have assigned new roles to our country, UTİKAD Chairman Bilgehan Engin said, ⁇ Europe is a very important market for Turkey in the conditions created by the pandemic in the first place, and the fragility of global supply processes assigns an important role to Turkey ⁇ . In this role, if Turkey moves in the right direction, we will benefit from this. Especially with some investments to be made on the railway side and legislative regulations to encourage and facilitate transit transportation, Turkey can both seriously cash out this advantageous position and strengthen its regional power. Turkey can go above and beyond its target in the World Bank Logistics Performance Index. Our country has an annual export of 250 billion dollars. The share we receive as logistics is shaped accordingly. Turkey should also set up its exports. In exports, it is very important that we focus on products of value that have added value, technological production, and that the customer cannot easily turn to different supply channels in terms of supply alternative in the world's own targeted market. This will have a serious multiplier effect on service exports. We also have opportunities and work to do so. We will see the fruit of this in time, but we should definitely not step back from these infrastructure works.
⁇ Digital and green transformation is very important ⁇
Hamdi Erçelik, Chairman of the Board of Directors of TÜRKLİM, touched on the importance of digital and green transformation of ports, ⁇ Turkey is a peninsula country, so we are very rich in terms of coast, but in this coastal structure, ports are quite limited. In establishing ports everywhere, the economic cost and benefit relationship is limited. That's where digitalization comes in. Existing ports need to be run more optimally, to be competitive. ⁇ What a digital country you are, there are great investments ⁇ We need to do it not so that they will applaud, but because we have no other choice. Logistics is a holistic event, we have connection with road seaway, freight, passenger, cruise, air cargo. Ports have a big role to play and that's why efficiency is so important if there's going to be a doubling in capacity. Europe calls for a green transition. Carbon taxes are coming at the border. If we don't take the right steps, we'll all be taxed together. The important thing is to find resources and complete these transformations and take a step forward. Therefore, our agenda is digitalization and green transformation. If we don't, a difficult period awaits us.
⁇ Alsancak ⁇ has a commercial port identity in the fabric of the city ⁇
Referring to Alsancak Port, Erçelik said, What will we do with ⁇ Alsancak Port, will it continue to handle cargo? There is a certain loss of cargo from Alsancak Port to Aliağa ports. It's my opinion; Alsancak ⁇ has a commercial port identity in the fabric of the city, in the direction of its continuation. While he's at it, there may be additional opportunities. I hope it ends soon too. There was talk of privatization of the whole, now focusing on a partial, half-and-half privatization. I think it would be right for the public not to withdraw their hand. Because private sector ports are also looking for a polar star. Port enterprises in the world are operated in an order in which the public tenders a usage contract after making an investment. In Turkey, it is done by the private sector. Therefore, for an alignment, I see that it is useful to have something that the public hand shows how this work is done, that we also need a reference to see our own beauty, and that it will come to a better place with mutual interaction.
We've been through a lot in a short time.
DND Chairman of the Board Şükriye Vardar also ⁇ Turkey's ports are at a level where they can compete with the world. We have four ports in the first 100 ⁇ . We have no problem with quality. Increasing capacity and efficiency, building deep water lines for larger ships, rail, road and inland waterway connections are critical.
The users of US technology giant Google ⁇ chose Istanbul Airport ⁇ as the best in Europe. CNN recently announced that Istanbul Airport is the best transfer airport in the world.
Selahattin Bilgen, CEO of Istanbul Airport Operator İGA ⁇ , announced that Istanbul Airport ⁇ was selected as the best airport in Europe according to a survey conducted on Google users' comments.
Bilgen, who shared on his social media account, as seen in the ⁇ Google comments, we are deeply grateful to everyone who chose us and contributed to our success. Thank you for making Istanbul Airport the best in Europe. We are determined to continue the success. ⁇ He used his expressions.
According to the results of the survey conducted by Google users among European airports, Istanbul Airport ranked first with 4.4 points according to more than 100 thousand Google reviews. Istanbul Airport was followed by Porto, Athens, Czechia and Zurich airports in order of likes.
CNN, the US media giant, recently included the best airports in the world for connecting flights. According to CNN, Istanbul Airport (IGA) was the best airport in the world for transfer flights. CNN, which compiled the data of the aviation company Cirium ⁇ un, noted that Istanbul Airport ⁇ , which opened its doors in October 2018, has improved considerably in 6 years. According to the report, with 309 ports, Istanbul Airport has become the bridge between east and west.
In 2023, more than 76 million passengers flew. The airport, which has an annual capacity of 200 million passengers, is also distinguished by its central location between the east and west of the world. In addition, numerous services offered for the comfort of passengers are the first choice of passengers flying through Istanbul Airport.
Of course, most of these flights are made with Turkish Airlines, the company that flies to the most destinations in the world. The quality of service offered by THY ⁇ also allows passengers to have a comfortable journey through Istanbul Airport. The airport's 5 runways, which allow aircraft of all types and bodies to land and take off, are also important advantages of the airport.
İGA Istanbul Airport, which scored 95.79 points as a result of the votes of the readers in the ⁇ World's Top 10 International Airport ⁇ survey organized annually by Travel and Leisure ⁇ , the world's leading travel magazine based in New York, USA, was entitled to the title ⁇ World's Best Airport ⁇ in July.
