Airline Tickets and Their Sales Agency in Turkey

The sale of airline tickets is one of the most important sectors in the tourism industry worldwide, especially in Turkey.

This is due to two main reasons: Firstly, Turkey is one of the top tourist destinations in the world. Secondly, its strategic geographical location makes it a crucial connecting point for many international airlines, offering significant profit opportunities in this field. In this article, we will discuss detailed information about the sale of airline tickets.

Air Traffic in Turkey for 2019 In 2019, Turkey recorded the following passenger numbers:

• Domestic passengers reached 100,140,814 through local airports.
• International passengers reached 108,692,517. In total, 208,833,331 passengers traveled through Turkish airports, presenting vast profit opportunities in this tourism sector.

IATA Certification:

To sell airline tickets anywhere in the world, it’s mandatory to have an IATA (International Air Transport Association) agency. In Turkey, for tourism companies to sell airline tickets, they must first obtain this agency. Nowadays, as everything becomes digital, airline tickets can be sold online through dedicated websites after obtaining the IATA agency.

Online Ticket Sales:

Approximately 93% of airline ticket sales are now made online. Tourism companies compete to sell airline tickets by trying to rank their websites at the top of search engine results through paid advertisements. The cost of establishing a website ranges from $2,000 to $5,000. Since bookings are made online, the website must be equipped with online payment services.

Companies’ profits from ticket reservations increase proportionally with sales. For example, if a tourism company agrees with an airline on a profit percentage, the company might earn 10% for every 100 tickets but 15% for every 1,000 tickets. Thus, companies with higher sales volumes have increased profit margins.

GDS Software Requirements and Costs:

• To obtain an IATA agency, one must have one of the global ticket booking programs called GDS (Global Distribution System).
• There are several GDS programs, with Amadeus and Galileo being the most popular.
• The cost of the program ranges between 250 – 500 euros. For instance, the cost of the Amadeus program is 450 euros.
• The application process for the Amadeus program takes only one week.
• Amadeus charges $0.50 for each ticket sold.
• Once your application for the Amadeus program is complete, the code is sent to you online, and you can start the ticket reservation processes.

Requirements and Costs for Obtaining an IATA Agency:

1. To obtain IATA, one must have a TURSAB document as a tourism company.
2. The application for IATA is made online.
3. To obtain the IATA certificate, one must have one of the GDS programs (e.g., Amadeus, Galileo, etc.).
4. During registration, some official company documents like tax plates and trade registry are required.

There are two different ways to obtain IATA:

1. Guarantee Letter: Through a guarantee letter worth $50,000, which is reserved in the bank. The procedures to obtain IATA through this method take only two months, with application costs of 1,100 Swiss francs.
2. Credit Card: By obtaining IATA membership, your company’s bank credit card is recognized by IATA. The process to obtain IATA through this method takes only one month, with application costs of 457 Swiss francs.

Our Services at ICS Global:

1. We can follow up on your company’s IATA transactions.
2. We can create a structured and professional website for your company.
3. We can upload the infrastructure for the payment system and virtual points to your company’s website.
4. We can provide accurate consultations and information regarding all your legal transactions, including obtaining an airline reservation agency.
5. We can establish a credit card collection system with the banks we have contracted with and benefit from the agreed POS commissions.
6. We can offer you consultations to purchase all ready-made companies whose website operates with an IATA agency.

In our company, we can handle all procedures related to obtaining your company’s IATA agency. This can be done by obtaining an official legal agency from you, whether you are inside or outside Turkey.