Diplomová práce se zaměřuje na marketingovou strategii Turkish Airlines, který je nejlepší evropský letecký dopravce s jeho hlavní základnou v Istanbulu na letišti Atatürk. Práce taktéž zahrnuje rozbor leteckého průmyslu a navrhuje marketingový přístup pro rozvoj povědomí a zvýšení prodeje společnosti Turkish Airlines. Diplomová práce se skládá ze tří částí teoretické, praktické a návrhové části.

The airline industry is a highly competitive market. Particularly after the major liberalization in the industry, the competition carried a step forward for all the concerned companies. Airline industry is a very dynamic market also; the expenses of a single operation may change substantially in a very short time period, which could be due to the fickle regulations or the fluctuation of oil prices. At any time, for a certain destination, a new airline company can start its operations and become a competitor, which can result in a market share loss for current operators. In such an environment, airline companies strive to maximize their revenues in every single flight. Load factors of a flight, classification, and pricing of airline tickets in a flight are determinative on the revenue of a single operation. In order to maximize revenue for its operations, companies should have a broad range of information about airline market conditions and passenger profile and preferences for every destination that they operate. Turkish Airlines, which is the largest airline company of Republic of Turkey and increasing its global awareness day by day, also strives to maximize its revenues per flight. In order to do so, Turkish Airlines needs to have suitable decisions regarding the capacity issues (determination of type and number of aircrafts, and flight frequencies) which will be then used worldwide in the different branches of company. These reasons lead to the increased need for the company to adopt practical total demand analysis in its operating destinations. The company aims to specify the factors, which are effective on the change of total demand for every destination. Turkish Airlines also strives to make most accurate demand forecasting in order to manage the peaks and troughs of the company’s flights. This project was brought to agenda in order to help this company to address this issue and was initiated with the purpose of making a total demand analysis for specified destinations. Destinations are from Stockholm to Athens, Thessalonica, New Delhi, Mumbai, Istanbul, Bangkok, and Dubai. This study is a quantitative study. Chosen demand factors, which constitute the total airline traffic between destination cities, are analyzed with respect to change in total demand. Various demand-forecasting methods are also applied in order to determine the best forecasting method for each destination, which is compatible with the quantitative approach. Results of the study are directly related to the airline market conditions of aforementioned destinations. Results are presented in four subheadings for every destination; overview of airline market, competition level of airline market, factors regarding the destination and demand forecasting for the destination. This study provides important information to Turkish Airlines regarding total demand analysis of specified destinations. Company learns the common factors (price, total amount of luggage, etc.) and the destination specific factors (language of crew, Frequent Flyer Programs, etc.) that are effective on the change of demand. Company may use this information in order to increase its market share (amount of passengers carried in a certain destination by Turkish Airlines from total demand) for specified destinations. With the help of this study, the company can make an accurate demand forecasting for Turkish Airlines’ future flights, which can be used in planning activities like determining the type of aircraft and flight frequency for a destination, and pricing of flight tickets through different passenger segments.

Le développement de puissantes compagnies aériennes bénéficiant d’un soutien évident d’acteurs politiques qui ont (re)lancé leurs activités vient poser d’importants défis pour le secteur aérien international. De fait, de nombreuses entités politiques perçoivent le transport aérien comme un outil indispensable afin de promouvoir leurs intérêts et s’imposer davantage sur la scène internationale. Les cas des émirats de Dubaï, d’Abu Dhabi et du Qatar, ainsi que de la Turquie illustrent pleinement la façon dont des acteurs politiques utilisent le développement d’une compagnie aérienne localement basée en fonction d’objectifs qui leur sont propres. La croissance inédite d’Emirates Airline, Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways et Turkish Airlines vient toutefois bouleverser l’évolution de la connectivité aérienne mondiale, tandis que les nombreux acteurs de l’aérien peinent à s’accorder sur la mise en œuvre d’un cadre de portée internationale censé garantir l’existence d’une « concurrence loyale » entre les transporteurs, sur fond d’intérêts divergents. Le contrôle de la connectivité constitue en effet un instrument de soft power qui vient renforcer la position des acteurs qui l’utilisent, tout en créant des liens de/d’(inter)dépendance croissants. Les autorités politiques adoptent toutefois des approches différenciées afin de développer leur soft power, tandis que l’Union européenne s’avère être, pour l’heure, en retrait d’une telle dynamique. / The growth of strong airlines benefiting from a large support of political stakeholders who have (re)launched their activities is leading to important challenges for the international air transport sector. Numerous political entities perceive aviation as an essential tool to promote their interests and to gain more international recognition. The cases of the emirates of Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Qatar, but also Turkey are fully showing how political stakeholders use the development of a locally based airline according to their own goals. The large growth of Emirates Airline, Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines is disrupting the air connectivity evolution at a worldwide scale, while numerous aviation stakeholders do not reach to agree on an international framework aiming to safeguard a “fair competition” between air carriers, in a context of differing interests. Thus, the control of air connectivity forms a soft power instrument strengthening the position of stakeholders who are using it while creating in the meantime growing (inter)dependence links. Political authorities adopt however differentiated approaches in order to expand their soft power, whereas the European Union is, for now, staying away of such a dynamic.