National flag carrier Turkish Airlines (THY) is still seeking permits from aviation authorities to resume flying international routes after a nearly three-month suspension following the coronavirus outbreak, an official from the flag carrier said Wednesday.
Transport Minister Adil Karaismailoğlu said last week that flights would restart on June 10 to destinations such as the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Greece, Bahrain, Bulgaria and Qatar, but the official said the airline had not yet received approval.
Karaismailoğlu said the country was planning to gradually resume flights with 40 countries as of June 10 and has reached preliminary agreements for reciprocal flights to begin with 15 countries.
He said Turkey was in talks with 92 countries on resuming flights, as containment measures over the coronavirus were eased.
“We can’t operate international flights today. We are waiting to receive permission from the civil aviation authorities,” he said.
Turkish Airlines resumed a limited number of domestic flights last week.
Previously the airline said it expects a slow recovery in global demand toward the end of the summer months, with a 60% drop in passenger numbers this year compared with initial expectations.
The company’s shares were up 0.56% at 9:43 a.m. GMT in line with the gains of the main BIST 100 index.
