Turkish Airlines to reduce agency commission from 5% to zero from Jan 2012

Turkish Airlines has decided to move to zero from the current five per cent agency commission in India effective January 1, 2012. Adnan Aykac, General Manager (Northern and Eastern India), Turkish Airlines - New Delhi Office confirmed the move to zero commission in India and stated that it was a company decision that was taken earlier this month. He pointed out that many European carriers have gone to zero commission due to recent market conditions. He refused to elaborate on the reasons for Turkish Airlines moving to zero commission.

Travel trade associations like TAAI, TAFI and IAAI have condemned the decision of the airline with IAAI already dashing off a letter of protest to Aykac. Turkish Airlines is the latest international airline to jump on the zero commission bandwagon in India and joins the list of 16 other international airlines which have moved to zero commission in India. Biji Eapen, President, IAAI said that the association will pursue this issue legally as it has done with other sixteen international airlines, which are not paying commission to agents.