Turkish Airlines to air another Super Bowl commercial to expand in US market

Long-awaited by sports fans from all around, the Super Bowl, the annual championship game of the National Football League (NFL), the highest level event of professional American football, will be held in Atlanta on Feb. 3.

Turkish Airlines (THY) will once again feature a moving ad on advertising's biggest night. Aiming to raise its popularity in the U.S. with this commercial, THY will carry sports fans from many parts of the world to the city for the event.

Flights to the U.S. come to the fore among the most important passenger markets of Turkey's flag-carrier airline. Flying to nine destinations in the U.S., including New York, Los Angeles, Washington, Boston, Houston, Chicago, Miami, Atlanta, and San Francisco, THY will soon schedule flights to Newark, New Jersey which stands out with its flight potential.

THY's occupancy rate on flights to North America, including two destinations in Canada, rose by 5.3 percentage points to 88.9 percent, while the number of passengers climbed by 9.1 percent to 2.4 million in 2018 compared to the previous year.

The new Turkish Airlines ad will be aired during the Super Bowl which holds a billion-dollar business volume together with commercials, tickets, TV, food, beverage and merchandise sales. THY's 30-second commercial will be aired during the championship game between the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams. With this commercial aired during America's favorite event expected to be viewed by 750 million all around the world, THY will once again turn heads both in the country and around the globe.

Meanwhile Turkish Airlines passengers will be able to watch the game, which will be aired in over 100 countries, live on long flights with an internet connection. THY's Airbus 330 aircraft will also depart from Atatürk Airport to Atlanta to carry sports fans from all around the globe.

The Super Bowl is the most-watched televised event in U.S. history. The average Super Bowl ticket costs around $6,800 as of Jan. 10, but that price goes up as the game approaches.

The Super Bowl Halftime Show will be headlined by U.S. pop group Maroon 5, followed by Travis Scott and Big Boi. The Super Bowl makes a significant contribution to the U.S. retail sector. Last year, the total amount of spending within the scope of the event stood at $15.3 billion, corresponding to $81.17 per capita. In addition, studies show 8 percent of Super Bowl viewers buy a new TV set prior to the event.

DIRECT FLIGTHS TO STOCKHOLM

Meanwhile, THY will also soon connect Sweden's capital Stockholm to Turkey's leading tourism spot Antalya with direct flights. This new line, which will start on July 5, 2019 according to the THY's statement, is expected to attract high-income tourists to Turkey.

Having carried a record number of passengers on both domestic and international flights according to the 2018 figures, THY will connect the northern part of Europe to Turkey's south with direct flights between Antalya and Stockholm. These flights, which will play an important role in drawing high-income tourists to Turkey, are scheduled once a week from early July to late October, with the first flight departing from Antalya Airport on July 5.

THY announced recently it aims to carry 80 million passengers throughout this year. The airline carried 75.2 million passengers last year. The total number of passengers the company flew was up 10 percent year-on-year in 2018. It aimed to carry up to 74 million passengers in 2018.

Turkish Airlines, founded in 1933 with a fleet of five aircraft, currently has more than 330 aircraft, including passenger and cargo planes, and flies to 306 destinations in 124 countries.

The airline was named Best Airline in Europe by Skytrax six years in a row between 2011 and 2016, and was chosen as the Best Airline in Southern Europe for the ninth consecutive time in 2017.