Turkish Airlines looking at 450-aircraft fleet

Turkish Airlines expects to receive 35 new aircraft this year, including 10 wide-body planes, as part of a drive to increase the size of its fleet and lower the average age of its aircraft. Ahmet Olmustur, Turkish Airlines' CMO, said that the airline aimed to have almost 450 aircraft by 2020, from 311 now. "People want to fly with new aircraft so we have plans to lower the age of our fleet," he said. Turkish Airlines expects to have 72.4m passengers this year, representing an 18% increase on 2015. However, Olmustur said the airline had seen a 10% drop in demand on some Russian and southern European routes. Tourist arrivals to Turkey have taken a beating following a spate of bomb attacks this year, including 2 in Istanbul, usually the country's biggest tourist draw. <br/>