ANKARA

Turkey’s national air cargo brand Turkish Cargo has achieved the highest growth rate – 16.6% – among the top 25 air cargo carriers worldwide, according to an industry group.

From ranking eighth in 2019, Turkish Cargo rose to fifth place, and increased its global Freight Tonne Kilometers (FTK) market share to 4.4%, according to the International Air Transport Association's FTK February 2020 results.

The global air cargo industry, meanwhile, contracted by 15.2% year-on-year in March, driven by sharply weaker demand across all regions as the COVID-19 outbreak extended to become a global pandemic.

"The success of Turkish Cargo shows our commitment to carry our country to a central position in the world in air cargo sector. Our geopolitical location and available means will help the country become a more significant player in the sector following the COVID-19 pandemic," Ilker Ayci, the chairman of Turkish Airlines, Turkish Cargo’s parent company, said in a statement on Sunday.

Turkish Cargo operates 24/7 to keep the global supply chain intact by carrying food, relief supplies, masks, medical equipment, and medicines amid the virus outbreak, the statement added.

The national air cargo carried 4,000 tons of medicines and 500 tons of medical equipment in April.

Turkish Cargo, the communique added, has the sixth-largest air cargo carrying capacity in the world, and is providing air cargo services with 25 high-capacity freighters to 90 direct cargo destinations.

It reaches 38 destinations, including London, Moscow, Cairo, Shanghai, Bangkok, Doha, Dubai and Casablanca with 19 wide-body passenger aircraft from the fleet of Turkish Airlines.