Turkish Cargo has launched its new Asia-Pacific regional office in Hong Kong.

Approximately 20 employees are based in the new office, which is responsible for overseeing the carrier’s sales and marketing activities in more than 25 markets.

Turkish Cargo first opened a regional office in Hong Kong in 2011.

“At the time, we had just started a freighter service to Hong Kong,” said Huseyin Ceyhan, regional director of Asia Pacific at Turkish Cargo [right in photo]. “We only had four freighter destinations in Asia Pacific 2011. Now there are 20. We carried about 6,000 tonnes back then and now we carry just under 200,000 tonnes.”

Ceyhan added that Turkish Cargo has been growing at a rate of about 15-20% per year in the last few years, compared to 3-4% in the industry.

“We will grow more,” he said. “Under the guidance, leadership and encouragement of our new chief cargo officer, Turhan Özen, Turkish Cargo will make a difference and grow stronger.”

Turhan Özen [second from right in photo], who was appointed chief cargo officer of Turkish Airlines in December 2016, said that the Asia-Pacific region is clearly the biggest and most important market for the company.

“We will continue this growth,” he said. “We are going to increase our focus on special cargo and special solutions. We will work with all of our customers, agents and forwarders to provide more value to the shippers.”

Also in attendance at the inauguration were Halit Anlatan, vice president of cargo marketing and sales at Turkish Airlines [second from left], Ahmet Serhat Sari, general manager of Hong Kong at Turkish Airlines [left] and Korhan Kemik, the Republic of Turkey’s consul general to Hong Kong [centre].