Passengers arriving on the XL Airways plane were greeted by Governor Muammer Erol and a mehter, or traditional military band, and with traditional dance performances. Speaking during the welcome ceremony, Erol said the direct flight gives Elazığ’s citizens living abroad the opportunity to increase the frequency of their visits home, hopefully increasing the duration of their stay. “This will increase the connection Elazığ’s citizens living abroad have with their homeland,” Erol said. This development is something that will make everyone in the region happy, he added, noting that they look forward to being able to give passengers better service when the airport is upgraded.
Adil Serim, the chief of Öger Türk Tur in Turkey, said they have done what they set out to do. He said the region needs to be promoted well so that the route will be successful. Serim said direct flights will begin from Stuttgart on May 31, from Berlin and Hannover on June 15 and from Cologne on June 16. Öger Türk Tur officials said there will also be direct flights from the Netherlands in the coming months and they will also serve the neighboring provinces.
There are nearly 300,000 people from Elazığ and the neighboring provinces living in Germany. Flights will be conducted every Monday until May, when they will be moved to Sundays.
