ISTANBUL: November 09, 2017. Turkish Airlines has reported Q3 revenue of US$3.6 billion, an operating profit of US$1.07 billion and a net profit of US$697 million.

For the first nine months of 2017, the airline produced revenue of US$8.2 billion, an operating profit of US$1.2 billion and a net profit of US$263 million.

During Q3 ending September 30, as cargo volume rose 29 percent to reach 294,000 tons, revenue rose nearly 40 percent from US$246 million to US$343 million year-on-year, while the nine-month cumulative saw an increase of 29.6 percent to reach US$923 million.

Compared to the same nine-month period last year, revenue from all-cargo operations rose 52.5 percent from US$266 to US$405 million.

Commenting on the results, chairman İlker Aycı said: "As the Turkish Airlines family with our common aim to become one of the leading five star airlines of the world, we will continue this growth trend without ever compromising form our service quality. As [the] largest exporter of Turkey, our march will continue to position Istanbul as a major international airport hub," he added.

Turkish Airlines has also announced it has joined 40 companies and NGOs in signing the 'United for Wildlife' Buckingham Palace Declaration pledging zero-tolerance of illegal wildlife trafficking.

The group has committed to receive and exchange credible information about high-risk routes and methods of transportation; to develop a secure system for passing information about suspected illegal wildlife trade from the transport sector to relevant Customs and law enforcement; and to notify relevant authorities of cargoes suspected of containing illegal wildlife and their products and, where able, refuse to accept or ship such cargoes.

The Declaration was signed in Istanbul by the airline's deputy chairman Bilal Ekşi who said: "With this declaration, we as Turkish Airlines are not only underlining one of the most important environmental issues of our times, trafficking of wildlife, but we are also setting an example of responsibility. We hope that we are contributing to the level of awareness on the issue and smoothing the path for legal enforcement procedures against the traffickers."

Welcoming Turkish Airlines' commitment, IATA director general and CEO Alexandre de Juniac noted: "The global connectivity built by the aviation industry is being exploited by traffickers, but through coordinated action with our industry partners, and assisting the proper authorities, we can help to end this dreadful trade. We welcome Turkish Airlines' commitment to join this fight, symbolized in its signature to the Buckingham Palace declaration."

Pictured left to right: Turkish Airlines deputy chairman and CEO Bilal Ekşi with IATA director general and CEO Alexandre de Juniac.