Turkish Cargo, a subsidiary of flag carrier Turkish Airlines, will soon become a fully independent company, CEO of its parent firm said on Wednesday.

"We will open a gigantic terminal in Istanbul Airport in the coming spring. This terminal with an advanced technology will be able to operate 4 million tons of cargo yearly," Ilker Ayci said at Cargo Talks organized online by Turkish Cargo.

Turkish Cargo is the first freighter to have medical equipment, fresh food and livestock transportation certificates, he said.

"This success of Turkish Cargo will continue after the pandemic. Our aim is to be among the top three air cargo companies in the world," he said.

Ayci said Turkish Cargo achieved success by maintaining operations without interruption while air traffic was stopped during the initial phase of the coronavirus pandemic.

He said the company’s strategy during the pandemic was to turn 50 passenger planes into cargo planes and stressed that cargo capacity increased considerably and that Turkish Cargo is ranked fifth among top air cargo carriers in the world.

Turkish Cargo boasts the world’s largest direct cargo aircraft network, reaching more than 300 locations – 96 direct cargo destinations – with a fleet of 365 aircraft./aa