ISTANBUL
Turkish Airlines will not reduce any of its flights to Africa because of the worldwide Ebola virus threat, President of Turkish Airlines Temel Kotil said Thursday.
Addressing the media at the second Aviation Leadership Summit of the Association of European Airlines in Istanbul, Kotil said the airline had not cut any flights to Africa in the past nor would it do so in the future.
The senior official said the Turkish Airlines was currently flying to 42 destinations in Africa.
"From day one, Turkish Airlines took measures to deal with Ebola, including at airports and raising awareness about the virus with passengers; and we will continue to take even further measures," he said.
About the airline’s future expansion plans in Africa, Kotil said Turkish Airlines would monitor the need for such an expansion in its future plans.
Association of European Airlines CEO Athar Husain Khan said their association was informing airlines about Ebola affected countries and that it was "up to the airlines whether to fly or not in the end" to Africa.
The number of reported deaths caused by Ebola has already reached nearly 5,000.
Last Wednesday, UK's Heathrow Airport had started Ebola screening for passengers arriving from Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, according to Heathrow Airport news release.
The summit is expected to continue until Saturday in Istanbul.
www.aa.com.tr/en
