ISTANBUL
Turkey's national air carrier Turkish Airlines, or THY, began flights to Democratic Republic of Congo's capital Kinshasa on Monday.
THY's first plane to Kinshasa took off from Ataturk International Airport in Istanbul after a ceremony at the airport.
Attending the ceremony, THY General Director Temel Kotil said that Kinshasa was among 200 cities where THY held flights, adding that their flight points had increased three times more in the last 7 years.
Headquartered in Istanbul, THY operates scheduled services to 150 international and 41 domestic cities (38 domestic airports), serving a total of 187 airports, in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas.
Turkish Airlines increased its sales revenue by 40% in 2011, compared to 2010, and recorded operating profit of 339 million TL (185.04 million USD). Net profit came in at 19 million TL (10.3 million USD).
Number of passengers carried increased by 12%, reaching 32.7 million in 2011.
