Turkish Airlines said it has signed a Letter of Intent with Vietnam Airlines, the national flag carrier of Vietnam, expanding the two carrier's collaboration and further adding another new partnership to its portfolio.

In the announcement, Turkish said it signed the deal for its air cargo brand, Turkish Cargo — as it commits to not only expand its extensive flight network but also enter partnerships with airlines around the world.

Turkish noted that the agreement is set to establish the foundation of a high-potential collaboration between the two airlines, aimed to be further strengthened in the future. 

"The partnership, initially focusing on air cargo operations of both flag carriers, aims to explore different commercial dimensions in the near future," Turkish Airlines said in a statement.

A subsidiary of Turkish Airlines, Turkish Cargo is currently assessing collaboration opportunities in Asia — a continent, which the carrier cited for its "strategic importance and high potential."

Turkish Airlines noted that the airline collaboration, initiated by Türkiye, has shown a "striking development momentum" in the last 20 years, and is anticipated to significantly contribute to the commercial activities of both countries.

Vietnam, with its growth rate surpassing regional peers and global averages, stands out in Asia, a continent of development and rise.

Through the signing, Turkish Cargo reaffirms its role in shaping the future of air cargo transportation, particularly in connecting vital regions and fostering international trade and commerce.

"Asia is one of our key markets at Turkish Airlines. Our efforts to increase our presence on this prominent continent continue unabated with our competent teams and R&D activities," said Bilal Ekşi, CEO of Turkish Airlines.

"In an era where global aviation is shifting from West to East, these efforts are even more meaningful. I am hoping our collaboration with Vietnam Airlines will be beneficial and fruitful for both countries and both flag carriers," he added.

Dang Ngoc Hoa, chairman of the Board of Directors at Vietnam Airlines, for his part, said the cooperation between Vietnam Airlines and Turkish Airlines was "established on the basis of mutual benefit."

"Turkish Airlines will benefit from expanding the scale of its transportation network to previously limited areas such as Oceania and Northeast Asia by taking advantage of Vietnam's central geographical location as a transit point. Furthermore, by using freighters and connecting to Turkish Airlines' global network of 345 destinations around the world, Vietnam Airlines can also significantly expand its scale," he said.

"We are confident this cooperation will facilitate Vietnam to become one of the leading logistics centres in the Asia-Pacific region," the Vietnam Airlines executive added.

The signing ceremony was held in Ankara and was witnessed by Cevdet Yılmaz, vice president of Türkiye and Pham Minh Chinh, prime minister of Vietnam.

At the signing, Turkish Airlines was represented by Ekşi of Turkish Airlines and Turhan Özen, chief cargo officer at Turkish Airlines, while Vietnam Airlines was represented by Dang Ngoc Hoa of Vietnam Airlines.