Policies

• Our Biodiversity Policy

  Being aware of the importance of biodiversity for humanity and the environment globally, Türk Hava Yolları A.O. (“Turkish Airlines”) declares its Biodiversity Policy prepared to protect biodiversity and provide sustainable operations in order to bring its employees, customers, suppliers, affiliates, all business partners, and shareholders together for the same purpose. Turkish Airlines supports all Sustainable Development Goals within the scope of the commitments declared in its Sustainability Policy, Environmental Policy, Supplier Code of Conduct Policy, Energy Policy and Sustainable Procurement Policy.

  Protection of Ecosystem

  Turkish Airlines identifies and monitors the impacts and risks of its activities on biodiversity and takes measures to protect the diversity of species, habitats, ecosystems and the integrity of ecological functions. It avoids activities that harm protected forests and species. It avoids operational structuring that would damage nationally and internationally important ecosystem zones. Turkish Airlines strives to lead the practices regarding the No Net Loss (NNL) principle in biodiversity and prevention of deforestation through sustainable procurement and supplier management practices. It spreads a similar approach and perspective to all its suppliers and stakeholders. It takes measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through fleet modernization, operational improvements, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) use, and carbon offsetting measures to manage the factors that may have an impact on climate change in accordance with the mitigation hierarchy. It supports sustainable biofuel research and development activities.

  Conservation of Endangered Species

  Turkish Airlines shares the importance of biodiversity with all stakeholders. It works with the awareness of responsible transportation to prevent illegal wildlife trade. It ensures that transportation is carried out legally. It takes measures and cooperates with authorized institutions to prevent contrary situations from occurring. In this context, it adopts a zero tolerance approach. It ensures that competent and trained employees are involved in the biodiversity management. As a signatory to the United for Wildlife Buckingham Palace Declaration (UFW), Turkish Airlines supports the goal of responsible transportation to prevent illegal trade of wild animals. It acts with the awareness that the responsibility for protecting the ecosystem is universal at all destinations where it flies.

  Sustainable Procurement

  Turkish Airlines considers the impact on the ecosystem and makes choices to reduce it while expanding all its activities, products, and services. In this way, it also encourages its stakeholders to protect the ecosystem. With its extensive flight network, it contributes to local economic and social development in the regions it flies to. To minimize deforestation impacts, it is selective to use products that will not adversely affect the forest ecosystem.

  Continuous Improvement

  In the regions where it operates, Turkish Airlines continuously monitors good practices and integrates applicable ones into its operations to reduce its environmental impact, its negative impact on biodiversity, and its impact on the local ecosystem. Turkish Airlines follows and implements the goal of becoming “Carbon Neutral by the year 2050” to support the fight against climate change and No Net Loss (NNL) in biodiversity in its operations.

• Our Corporate Policy

  Operational Safety and Security 

  Turkish Airlines’ management, along with its employees, support and encourage voluntary reporting and feedback from every work level due to the priority given to security and safety in all its activities. Management hereby declares that voluntary reporting is non-punitive and provides the following principles: 

  • Ensuring and seeking to raise operational safety and security, 
  • Applying safety and security management, 
  • Defining safety and security responsibilities, 
  • Defining safety and security weaknesses and managing risk, 
  • Communicating at the highest level, 
  • Establishing a culture of safety and security. 

  Quality and Customer Satisfaction 

  Turkish Airlines has built its financial strength on national and international standards, legislation and regulations. It maintains its social, cultural, ethical and humanitarian values through productive management and an effective approach towards processes, the continuous improvement of service quality, and the management of customer satisfaction together with their employees, customers, sub-contractors, partners and shareholders. 

  Occupational Health and Safety and the Environment 

  Through compliance with legislation and regulations, Turkish Airlines aims to bequeath a liveable environment for the next generation by identifying risks to occupational health/safety and the environment, managing risk and providing sufficient, healthy and secure resources and sub-structure for its employees, the efficient use of natural resources, and the prevention of pollution. 

  Information Security 

  Turkish Airlines declares a commitment to the following issues; 

  • Protecting corporate security and trademark image, 
  • Protecting information with advantageous operational, tactical and strategic importance and limiting its availability to relevant personnel, 
  • Protecting all information belonging to the partners, 
  • Providing compliance as defined by contract with third parties, 
  • Providing the sustainable continuation of the main and support processes without unwarranted lapses. 

  Social Responsibility and Employees 

  Turkish Airlines, due to its awareness of social responsibility, aims to participate in the society in which it operates beyond its commercial interests. 

  This policy is manifested through its employees who have full awareness of the values being put forward through their work and the regulations to be followed. They adopt the company values as their own, work to solve problems, share knowledge, willingly participate in teamwork, aim to improve and are always ready to take part in every kind of physical, medical or mental challenge.

• Our Security Policy

  Security Policy 

  Turkish Airlines hereby declares its Security Policy to ensure security and the constant improvement of operational conditions during the course of its activities. These include passenger transportation, cargo transportation, and training conducted according to national and international regulations and standards. 

  To Ensure Operational Security 

  Turkish Airlines develops and implements processes to prevent acts of unlawful interference that may occur on the ground or during flights and establishes security objectives and security performance standards. While implementing these processes, Turkish Airlines provides a periodic policy review to ensure continuing relevance to organizational needs and to the requirements of security performance standards. 

  Management of Security-Related Activities 

  Turkish Airlines ensures a clear statement of the organization's security objectives and the measures taken in order to conform to security regulations. It executes its corporate security management system to provide security to all its activities with constant improvement. 

  To Determine Security Responsibilities 

  Turkish Airlines determines the responsibilities of its employees regarding security-related issues and ensures a commitment to security from senior management as a fundamental priority throughout the organization. 

  To Identify Security Vulnerabilities and Risks 

  Turkish Airlines provides assistance to all its employees to identify and prevent vulnerabilities and risks that may occur as a result of the interaction between people, machines, the environment and duties. 

  To Provide the Highest Level of Communication 

  Turkish Airlines promotes a just culture where the flow of information and communication is carried out objectively between senior management and the employees in order to support all activities. Communication should be executed in a secure manner, including non-punitive reporting procedures to encourage the reporting of any inadvertent human error. 

  To Establish and Promote a Corporate Security Culture 

  Turkish Airlines ensures that all necessary arrangements are made to establish and improve a “Corporate Security Culture”. It promotes activities to increase security awareness and to make security an integral part of the corporate management system. 

  To Provide Necessary Resources for Security 

  Turkish Airlines ensures the provision of the resources necessary for the successful implementation of the security policy.

• Our Quality Policy

  Turkish Airlines;

  Acts in accordance with the relevant standards, the national and international aviation regulations it is liable to comply with, and the legal and other requirements within the scope of the Quality Management System. Commits to the continuous improvement of the Quality Management System by using the appropriate method and resources with the participation of employees in order to achieve its goals and objectives.

  Seeking Excellence in Service

  Works to raise the flight, training and cargo transportation services it offers to higher levels by adopting a culture of excellence.

  Attaching Importance to Safety and Security in all Services

  Works as focused on “zero error” target to ensure flight safety and security by using competent human resources, advanced technological means in working environments equipped with the appropriate infrastructure.

  Exhibiting a Customer-Oriented Approach

  Evaluates the customers’ current and future expectations and needs by considering their different cultures, and provides services exceeding the service provided by its competitors.

  Evaluates all feedbacks effectively to keep the customer’s satisfaction at the highest level.

  Making a Difference with Employees

  Provides service through the employees who are aware of the value their works will add to the service given to the customer, who own the Company's values, who produce solutions, who adopt their works, who share their knowledge, who know and participate in teamwork, who develop themselves continuously, who are encouraged to show leadership, and whose needs and expectations are taken care of.

  Using the Best Technology

  Ensures that the best available technology is used in its activities by following the innovations that will make a difference among the competitors.

  Managing the Resources

  Provides and effectively manages all the resources needed to maximize safety, security, and quality.

  Having a Say in Global Civil Aviation

  Carries out works as focused on playing an active role in the management, activities, and decisions of the national and international civil aviation organizations.

  Joining Forces with our Stakeholders

  Joins forces by taking into account the needs and expectations of all stakeholders for the continuity of stable growth and long-term success worldwide.

  Improving Consistently

  Plans and carries out its activities with a risk- and opportunity-oriented, systematic approach. Monitors the effectiveness of all activities in order to improve the performance of the Quality Management System continuously. Takes and maintains the improvement opportunities to reduce risks and turn them into opportunities.

• Our Safety Policy

  Overview 

  At Turkish Airlines, safety is the number one priority at all levels of the organization. Safety is an indispensable asset, an integral part of Turkish Airlines’ corporate values that is never compromised. Safety also plays a significant role in the provision of an efficient, effective and sustainable air transport operation. It is of utmost importance that all levels within Turkish Airlines offer a commitment in line with industry best practices and standards. 

  Priority of Safety 

  Turkish Airlines regards the safety of its organizational activities, stakeholders and the environment as the most important consideration. 

  Management Commitment 

  Turkish Airlines acknowledges the involvement of management as a key contributing factor to the overall safety of the organization’s operations. All accountable managers at Turkish Airlines are responsible for the continuous monitoring of safety trends, and to actively provide the necessary support and resources within their areas of responsibility in order to maintain and improve safety. 

  Safety Management System 

  Turkish Airlines continuously strives to achieve and maintain a healthy working environment for its employees and to provide the highest possible safety standards to all its customers. In order to achieve these goals, Turkish Airlines has developed a Safety Management System (SMS) that actively involves all levels of the organization’s operations. The core of Turkish Airlines’ SMS is to continuously monitor, identify, manage, reduce, or eliminate detectable or foreseeable hazards through a systematic and data-driven approach. This enables Turkish Airlines to minimize its exposure to risk and to address potential future challenges, while fulfilling its safety responsibilities to the highest standards. 

  Safety Culture 

  Turkish Airlines fosters and encourages a safety culture that includes flat, just, adaptive, committed, informed, learning, and reporting cultures among all managers and employees. It is of the utmost importance to increase the awareness of the role of safety within all activities and the resulting responsibility of each individual. 

  Adoption and Development of Safety and Quality Standards 

  With regard to national and international requirements, Turkish Airlines aims to continuously develop safety and quality standards that exceed industry best practices.

• Our Occupational Health and Safety Policy

  The Senior Management of Turkish Airlines declares its Occupational Health and Safety Policy in order to bring together its employees, customers, suppliers, affiliates, all business partners and shareholders for the same purpose. 

  Abiding by the Rules 

  Complies with international aviation rules along with national, legal and other regulations on occupational health and safety issues. 

  Considering People while Growing, 

  Uses equipment and organizations that have the minimum risk level while planning new investments, expanding the fleet, and raising the technological infrastructure level by considering the health and safety of its employees, customers, suppliers and subcontractors. 

  The Company Management believes in the importance of working in a safe and healthy environment, and that this is a part of the Company's success. 

  Employee Participation and Communication 

  Ensures participation of all the levels of the organization in the improvement of occupational health and safety performance. Realizes activities in order to support the improvement of occupational health and safety culture via increasing knowledge and awareness of employees regarding occupational health and safety. 

  Establishes an open dialogue regarding occupational health and safety with employees and suppliers for current and future activities. 

  Resource Procurement 

  Undertakes provision of resources necessary for implementation, maintaining and development of the established occupational health and safety management system. 

  Managing the Risks 

  Identifies all risks concerning occupational health and safety arising from its activities, develops action plans in order to minimize these risks and realizes activities for preventing occupational accidents and occupational diseases. 

  Ensures continuity of monitoring of work environment and preventive medicine works. Establishes the necessary infrastructure for creating a healthy and safe work environment for personnel, subcontractors and guests. 

  Determines probable emergencies in working areas and realizes preparation activities for all these scenarios. 

  Controls that personnel taking part in critical functions are physically and medically fit to undertake their respective tasks. 

  Carries out the procedures below in order to make no compromises regarding operational security and safety and to minimize the operational risks, with the awareness of human factor in the civil aviation industry: 

  • First of all, alcohol and psychoactive substance addictions are taken into account as a selection criterion when it comes to human resource employment for tasks involving critical functions. People who are confirmed to be alcohol and/or psychoactive substance addicts are not employed. 
  • Checks whether employees carrying out tasks involving critical functions are under the influence of alcohol and/or psychoactive substances first routinely before they start their duties and randomly during their duties. 
  • Employees who are confirmed to be under the influence of alcohol and/or psychoactive substances are not allowed to be involved in operations. The regulations of national and international civil aviation authorities are complied with to the letter. 
  • Supports employees who admit to be alcohol addicts with their treatments provided that they did not violate any rules. 

  Improving Consistently 

  Monitors and measures the occupational health and safety performance, and makes efforts to improve its performance in this area consistently by considering the good practices in the World as well. 

  Fulfills the requirements of suitable management procedures by reviewing the policy continuously through the occupational health and safety targets and continuous development programs.

• Our Environmental Policy

  The Senior Management of Turkish Airlines hereby declares its Environmental Policy covering the design and presentation of the scheduled and unscheduled passenger and cargo commercial air transportation services in domestic lines, the in-flight services in international lines, and the training services in order to bring its employees, customers, suppliers, affiliates, and all its business partners and shareholders together around a common goal for its future, in line with duties and common values of the Company by considering the national and international laws and regulations as well as the commercial ethics, by focusing on total quality.

  Abiding by the Rules 

  It complies with the aviation regulations along with the national legal requirements, and the other national/international requirements on the environmental issues that it is liable to comply with. It aims to extend beyond compliance with laws by the environmental projects it supports.

  Managing the Environmental Aspects 

  It determines the environmental aspects of all its activities, products, and services, detects the environmental impacts, and develops action plans to decrease such impacts. It applies an improvement-oriented management system and methods to keep significant environmental aspects under control.

  Minimizing Adverse Environmental Impacts 

  It gives top priority to protection of environment while carrying out all its activities, products and services. It supports the fuel efficiency initiatives and takes measures to decrease the greenhouse gas emissions to decrease and eliminate the factors that may worsen the climate change.

  It takes measures against noise pollution and wastes. It minimizes wastes by giving priority and support to the use and recovery of recyclable materials within the waste management process.

  Considering People and the Environment while Growing 

  It considers the life cycle approach while planning new investments in relation to its operation area, expanding its fleet, and upgrading its technological infrastructure.

  Bequeathing an Habitable World for Future Generations 

  It uses the natural resources effectively and efficiently as per the sustainability principle by considering the future generations that are its common assurance with its stakeholders; and places importance on biological diversity.

  Developing along with Stakeholders 

  It works to increase the environmental awareness of its own employees, and encourages their participations. It shares and spreads good environmental practices by making contact with all its stakeholders. It supports the sustainable products and services throughout the life cycle.

  Improving Consistently 

  It measures, monitors, reviews and continuously improves its environmental performance on a regular basis as per its environmental objectives. It ensures participation of stakeholders and all levels of the organization for the improvement of its environmental performance. It shares the information on its environmental performance with its stakeholders. It reviews, updates, and shares its Environmental Policy with the relevant parties periodically.

• Our Customer Feedback Management Policy

  In the cargo service activities it carries out by adopting a customer-oriented approach, Turkish Airlines manages all expectation, complaint, suggestion and satisfaction feedbacks of its customers in line with the following principles by taking the national and international authorities' requirements, legislative conditions, and the documented information of the Company as references.

  • It listens to its customers by using the latest and the most readily available means of communication.
  • It receives the feedbacks without any economic expectation, and informs the customers that their feedbacks have been received.
  • It puts the feedbacks in order of priority, within the scope of information integrity principle, handles and evaluates them objectively and by preserving the confidentiality of the concerned parties, and informs the results of such evaluation to the customers on time.
  • It carries out the solutions it suggests to the concerned parties on the basis of transparency and accountability.
  • It supports its personnel regarding customer-oriented behaviors, and improves their competencies through trainings and motivation boosting applications.

  By providing all the necessary resources, Turkish Airlines uses the feedbacks received from the customers, personnel, and all the other concerned parties to improve its product and service quality, improve its processes continuously, and increase the customer satisfaction.