Fostering meaningful partnerships and growth have been at the top of the list for Turkish Cargo in recent years.

“Th ere is no doubt we have to thank the wide range network support by Turkish airlines for our growth. Asia Pacifi c is the key manufacturing plant in the world, with our strategically located hub in Istanbul – Turkey, we are able to reach many destinations within just four hours fl ight time.” chief cargo offi cer Mr Tuhan Ozen told Payload Asia, when talking about Turkish Cargo’s success in Asia.

Th e airline has been aggressively developing their Asian based network, not just by launching new products and infrastructure, but also nurturing relationships with business partners, customers and agents. “We are now flying to 298 destinations in 120 countries, with over 120k growth on carried tonnage within 6 years of being in the region.”

Turkish Cargo launched their fi rst cargo fl ights to Hyderabad, Chennai, Phnom Penh, Ho Chi Minh City, Colombo stations in 2016, while increasing cargo counts in Hong Kong, Guangzhou and Shanghai.

Growth plans will continue in 2017 with wide-body passenger plane upgrades in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Islamabad, Karaci and Lahor; while expanding cargo capacity and increasing frequency in Hong Kong, Guangzhou and Shanghai. In addition to the growth of their existing stations, Phuket is also on the list of new stations to be opened later in the year.

Amidst an industry that seems to have tunnel vision on a price competition, having a strategy that operates independent of market conditions, with a focus on niche markets such as pharmaceuticals and special cargo is in Ozen’s opinion one of the key factors that has allowed the carrier to thrive in the region.

 

Accolades in South Korea

In 2016, Turkish Cargo had a 27% growth in South Korea. With a weekly frequency of 13 fl ights to Seoul, the airline was recognized by the Seoul Incheon Airport authority as being One of the fastest growing Cargo Carriers of the year in South Korea. Th e carrier plans to stay on a steady trajectory upwards continuing to be one of the largest carriers in the South Korean market.

 

Regional Office Developments

In 2011 when Turkish Cargo established what would turn out to be one of their most important regional air cargo centres of Asia-Far East in Hong Kong, the airline had only four cargo destinations. Having capitalized on the rapid air cargo sector growth in the region, the airline can now boast to being one of the fastest growing airlines in the region, with an additional 20 destinations added to their roster as of 2017.

An offi cial opening was held at new offi ces in Causeway Bay – Hong Kong, where operations commenced as of March 2017. Over 80 of Turkish Cargo’s business partners were in attendance, where the ribbon was cut by Özen and other directors in the region.

In his speech at the ceremony, Özen, acknowledged the strong team and supporters the airline has based in Hong Kong. He also pointed out how the carrier increasing quality and capacity will go a long way in strengthening business partnerships.

 

Expansion in Shanghai

Shanghai is home to the second highest cargo station abroad for Turkish Airlines. “In recent years, cooperation between Turkey and China has increased with several businesses. Widening economical and commercial relations have become more important. China is not only the world’s second largest economy, but also Turkey’s second greatest trade partner. Evidently, Chinese corporations have invested in Turkey; with approximately 30 Billion USD trade volume between the two countries,” said Sabri Tunç Angılı, Consulate General of Turkey, Shanghai. As of April 2017, cargo fl ights which started at a frequency of one per week in 2013 have increased to a frequency of six per week.

Speaking at a ceremony where new cargo services were introduced, Özen said that despite his recent addition to the Turkish Cargo family, he had a chance to appreciate fi rsthand, the dynamics of the Chinese market and the Far Eastern team. He added that with its new products and developing fl ight network, Turkish Cargo will continue to be one of the top players in the Chinese market.

During the product introduction, it was promised that Turkish Cargo would start its seventh frequency preparations as soon as possible for customers who are already asking for more fl ights.

 

Recognizing Top Agents

Going the extra mile in acknowledging those on the ground, the carrier hosted dinner and award ceremonies for some of its top agents in China, India, Sri Lanka and Maldives.

From the fi rst passenger fl ight of Turkish Airlines in January 2011, the Guangzhou adventure continues with daily Boeing-777 flights and three freighter flights per week that will increase to four as of May 2017. Th e carrier brought together its Guangzhou agencies at an award ceremony night.

During the event, agents including Goldjet International Logistics, AIR Sea Transport, DHL Global Forwarding China, Panda Global Beijing, Guangzhou Hayonez Hyl Logistics, UBI Logistics China Limit, DM Sky Cargo International Limited and PIF Global Logistics China Ltd were awarded for their performance in 2016.

Almost 55 business partners from Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad and Chennai stations, participated in an event hosted in Goa, India. Th e event was held in honour of successful agents based on 2016’s performance in India with the top tier being presented awards and certifi cates by the senior vice president of Turkish Cargo Şeref Kazanci, and director of Asia-Far East Region Hüseyin Ceyhan . In his speech, Kazanci emphasized the development of Turkish Cargo in the global air cargo market, its network structure, new investments, research on pharmaceutical shipments and the importance of being part of the Indian market. Th e three-day event consisted of business opportunities and leisure time, where guests played beach volleyball, archery and cricket.

Turkish Cargo continues to grow on the Sri Lankan air cargo market. Another event hosted Colombo’s best agents were the prizes awarded, including fl ights on Turkish airlines and a visit to Istanbul. Th e carrier hosted the event with the participation of more than 100 agencies in Sri Lanka.

In the Maldives’ air cargo market where 98% of exports consist of food perishables, Turkish Cargo has been recognised as one of the top three air cargo carriers in the market. At the Sheraton Maldives Hotel, the carrier brought together sixty fi sh exporters in recognition of their contribution to the carrier’s position in the country.

 

The Digital Era

Digitalization is still a hot topic, and the benefi ts of implementation are apparent from positive results achieved within the industry. Commenting on the topic, Ozen said: “Digitalization is not just a trend. Every party in the air cargo supply chain should be working to adopt new technologies in order to ease the complex processes and achieve higher levels of effi ciency.”

It has been two years since Turkish Cargo replaced their old IT platform with COMIS, which is a more dynamic and systematic software. It enables seamless information flow within different departments, enhances business process smoothness, increases reliability and quality of services; and all this leads to customer satisfaction.

He added: “As of 2016, we have put a lot of effort on the e-AWB implementation, to speed up the air freight delivery process in a paperless manner. Along with opening up a selfservice booking platform for agents, allowing them to make bookings directly through the portal. It is a step by step implementation and the objective is to always keep moving Turkish Cargo’s business forward, while creating a win-win outcome for all our stakeholders.”