According to a press release, Turkish Airlines’s network is even bigger than the 120 countries it visited during the record period; the airline’s network covers 131 countries. This higher number includes “temporarily suspended routes” and the airline’s inaugural flight from Istanbul and Santiago via São Paulo, which took place on December 20, 2024.
In a comment about the record, Turkish Airlines CEO Bilal Ekşi, explains that while the airline recently obtained the official Guinness World Records title, it’s been been flying to more countries than other airlines for a very long time.
“As the only airline to hold this distinction for over a decade, we proudly showcase the strength of our flight network and reinforce our mission to connect people, cultures, and destinations around the globe,” he says.
While it is very difficult to find accurate statistics on the numbers of countries (as opposed to destinations) that various airlines fly to, it’s worth noting the gap between Turkish Airlines and its competitors is very wide: Air France currently flies to 73 countries, Delta Air Lines flies to 60 countries, and Emirates flies to 77 countries, for example.
Here are all the countries that Turkish Airlines flies to at the time of writing, according to the list available on the airline’s official website. The list contains the name of 117 countries only, instead of the 120 for which it obtained the Guinness World Records title, as routes vary regularly according to many factors, including seasons, geopolitical reasons, and more:
