ISTANBUL: January 04, 2016. Pegasus Cargo has announced the program line-up for its first two-day logistics conference to be held in conjunction with Istanbul University's Transportation and Logistics Faculty on March 23-24.

The fifth in an on-going series of conferences bringing together educationalists, students and international experts in support of Turkey's growing logistics industry, the keynote speaker is Pegasus Airlines' CCO Guliz Ozturk.

Other speakers include Diane Arcas, EVP of Arkas Holding; Rainer Muller, vice president Commercial, Saudi Airlines Cargo; Mustafa Tonguc, vice president DHL Express; Asim Barlin, chairman of Solmas Customs Brokerage; and Turgut Erkeskin, president of Turkey’s Association of International Forwarding and Logistics Service Providers (UTIKAD).

Pegasus Cargo also hosted 150 forwarder customers in Izmir at the end of 2015 to thank them for their support in making the year such a successful one for the carrier, according to vice president Cargo Aydin Alpa (seated right of Pegasus picture).

Izmir is Turkey’s second largest commercial center after Istanbul and generates nearly 10 percent of the country’s industrial output and 48 percent of the Aegean region’s GDP. In 2014, over 4,500 exporters generated 6.1 percent of Turkey’s exports valued at US$9.3 billion covering cars, chemicals, industrial machinery & equipment, food and beverage production, renewable energy, tourism, automotive OEM, information and communication technologies.

In 2014, Germany was Izmir’s No.1 export destination followed by the U.S., UK, Italy and Spain. Reflecting Turkey’s historical trade connection, Russia was the top import nation followed by Germany, China, Italy and the U.S.

Izmir’s Adnan Menderes Airport, which opened a new terminal in 2014, is connected to 20 cities in Turkey and 74 international points in 27 countries.