Turkey’s flagship carrier said Ahmet Olmuştur, who had served as chief commercial officer, was appointed chief executive after the retirement of longtime CEO Bilal Ekşi. Murat Şeker was named chairman of the board, replacing Ahmet Bolat, who stepped down, while Metin Gülşen was appointed chief financial officer and Harun Baştürk became chief commercial officer. Reuters and Bloomberg both reported the changes, which were also reflected in the company’s disclosures tied to its April 9 annual general assembly.

The airline said it would retain all of its 2025 net profit of 118.2 billion Turkish lira ($2.65 billion) instead of distributing a dividend to shareholders. According to Reuters, the company said keeping a strong cash position was in shareholders’ long-term interest because of the “ongoing war environment in the Middle East and the uncertainty it entails.”

The move marks a break from the airline’s recent payout pattern. Turkish Airlines did not pay a dividend from its 2023 profit, but in 2025 it approved a cash dividend of a gross 6.88 lira per share from its 2024 earnings.

The leadership change has taken place at a tense moment for the airline industry and for Turkey’s largest carrier in particular. The overhaul comes as airlines deal with flight restrictions and high fuel costs amid the volatility in oil prices, capacity pressure and disruptions linked to conflicts in the Middle East.

Despite those pressures, Turkish Airlines reported strong traffic growth for March. Passenger traffic rose 16 percent year on year to 7.2 million, the load factor climbed 6.1 percentage points to 83.6 percent and the airline carried 21.3 million passengers in the first quarter, up 12.7 percent from a year earlier. Its fleet also had expanded to 528 aircraft by the end of March.

Credits: Turkish Airlines

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The airline’s inaugural flight touched down on Wednesday (March 18), marking the start of a twice‑daily schedule that will offer passengers across London, Essex, Hertfordshire and the wider East of England greater choice and improved global connectivity.

The Turkish flag carrier will operate up to 15 flights a week between London Stansted and Istanbul.

Ciaran Brannigan, Commercial Director at London Stansted, said the new service is a significant step forward for the airport and the region it serves. He said:

“We’re delighted to welcome Turkish Airlines to London Stansted. This route gives passengers from the region a fantastic new option for travelling to Istanbul and, thanks to the airline’s world‑leading network, offers convenient connections to more than 350 destinations worldwide. This launch strengthens our growing network and supports the long‑term vision for London Stansted as a major international gateway for the East of England.”

Turkish Airlines Vice President Sales (Middle and Northern Europe) Fuat Fırat, said:

“The United Kingdom continues to be one of the key strategic markets for Turkish Airlines. With the addition of London Stansted flights, we are pleased to expand our presence in London to a third airport, further strengthening London Stansted’s connectivity and offering our guests greater flexibility to access our unparalleled global network. We believe this new route will not only meet regional demand but also contribute to both commercial and tourism activity across the region.”

To mark the inaugural flight, celebrations were held at check‑in and at the boarding gate, highlighted by a ribbon and cake cutting ceremony. The aircraft’s arrival was welcomed with a traditional water arch salute by the airport’s fire service, while both inaugural flights proved extremely popular, operating at full capacity.

Credits: Turkish Airlines

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