(ECO) THY PASSENGERS GROW BY 10.1 PCT IN FIRST TEN MONTHS.

ISTANBUL, Nov 11, 2009 (TUR) -- Turkey's flag carrier Turkish Airlines, or THY, said Wednesday the number of its passengers increased by 10.1 percent in the first ten months of 2009 to reach 20.9 million.

THY carried 19 million passengers in the same period of last year.

However, THY said its occupancy rate dropped 3.6 points to 71.5 percent in this period.

THY is the fourth biggest airline company in Association of European Airlines (AEA). The number of passengers THY carried between 2003 and 2008 rose 116 percent.

(T-A)

(THROUGH ASIA PULSE)