NEW NONSTOP LAX TO ISTANBUL AIR SERVICE RECOGNIZED AS “ROUTE OF THE WEEK” FOR ECONOMIC SIGNIFICANCE TO COMMUNITIES
(Los Angeles, California – March 17, 2011) Los Angeles World Airports, Tepe Akfen TAV Airports, and Turkish Airlines have received the Enterprise Award for Route of the Week from Airline Network News and Analysis (www.anna.aero) for the airline’s new nonstop service between Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Istanbul (IST). Los Angeles World Airports and Tepe Akfen TAV Airports operate LAX and IST, respectively.
The award from ANNA , an on-line air-service-network planning and intelligence website with over 60,000 aviation-industry subscribers recognizes “new routes of special economic significance to the communities served.”
Local economists estimate the new air service will contribute over $350 million annually to the local economy, and directly and indirectly support over 1,700 new jobs throughout Southern California.
Turkish Airlines’ LAX-IST route – the only nonstop service between the U.S. West Coast and Turkey -- began March 3 and operates four times per week at LAX (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday) using new Boeing 777-300ER (extended range) aircraft. In-flight service includes new Comfort Class seats with 19.5-inch seat areas, a 46-inch pitch, and 10.6-inch in-arm monitors with AVOD (audio and video on demand) services and connections for iPods and USB devices, as well as Internet, GSM (global system for mobile communications) and Live TV applications. World-renown Turkish Do&Co caters a wide variety of international cuisines, as well as authentic Turkish dishes, on the flights. A pioneer in the aviation industry, Turkish Airlines recently won the SkyTrax World Aviation Award, also known as the Oscar of the Aviation Industry, for “World’s Best Economy Class Onboard Catering.”
About Turkish Airlines
Established in 1933 with a fleet of only five airplanes, Star Alliance member Turkish Airlines is today a four-star airline with a fleet of 155 aircraft serving 172 (41 domestic and 131 international) destinations. It is the fourth largest airline in Europe. For more information, visit www.turkishairlines.com .
About Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
LAX is the seventh busiest airport in the world and third in the United States, offering more than 565 daily flights to 81 domestic cities and over 1,000 weekly nonstop flights to 65 international destinations on over 75 carriers. In 2010, LAX served over 59 million passengers, processed over 1.9 million tons of air cargo valued at nearly $84 billion, and handled 575,835 aircraft operations (landings and takeoffs). LAX is part of a system of three Southern California airports – along with LA/Ontario International and Van Nuys general aviation – that are owned and operated by Los Angeles World Airports, a proprietary department of the City of Los Angeles that receives no funding from the City’s general fund.