In order to continue its strategy of network building in Latin America, Turkish Airlines eyes Lima to expand its operations. The airline is seeking to grow its presence in the Latin American market and sees Lima as the next step of this strategy.
Latin America Expansion
One of Turkish Airlines main strategies is to increase its presence within Latin America. By adding Lima to its network, the carrier would serve 10 destinations within the region and the Caribbean, which are:
- Bogotá, Colombia.
- São Paulo, Brazil.
- Panama City, Panama.
- Cancún and Mexico City, Mexico.
- Santiago, Chile.
- Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- Caracas, Venezuela.
- Havana, Cuba (suspended at the moment).
Many of these routes are tag-on sectors, given the long distance between Istanbul and the destinations, as well as the operational difficulties from conducting ultra-long-haul flights.
Currently, the airline’s passenger capacity is of 23,100 seats going both ways twice per week. The last added destination was Santiago, operated via São Paulo, in late 2024.
The Lima Service
Within one of Turkish Airlines’ brief regulatory filings, the airline disclosed the reason for wanting the expansion. It was said that the desire to launch services to Lima is due to favourable market conditions. Although the expression of interest, the carrier is yet to officially schedule services and launch the route.
Moreover, Peru is actively seeking long-haul flights to come to the country in order to boost the country’s tourism. This aligns with the carrier’s interest in the region, as the airways seeks a stronger presence in the South American market.
Recently, Lima has significantly extended the Jorge Chavez International Airport (LIM), which allows for the arrival of more international flights, hence further boosting tourism. For instance, since the expansion, Lima has seen the return of Air Canada’s Toronto flight.
The carrier’s desire to launch a Lima service also establishes itself as a big competitor within the European airlines for the Latin American market, which has increased exponentially. Currently, Europe-Latin America passenger capacity is of 754,000 weekly seats going both ways.
What other countries, or cities, do you think the airline should expand its network to? Let us know your opinions in the comments below.
