A city has to be a sterling piece of real estate for the emperor of Rome to relocate his capital there. But that’s just what the Emperor Constantine did in 476 A.D. when he upped and moved to what’s now Istanbul.
Constantine preferred calling the city Constantinople - a big stretch there - as he began a dazzling building program on the shores of a river that links Europe with Asia. Indeed, part of Istanbul’s appeal is that it’s the only city in the world that straddles two continents. For more than 2,000 years, its location has made it a hub of trade, commerce, culture, and religion.
What really makes a great city is that no matter how old it is, there’s always the possibility that something new is around the bend. The same goes for companies. Take Turkish Airlines, for instance. The national carrier has been around for 75 years, but it’s transforming itself into a nimble and aggressive airline in the manner of a young company. The innovative blueprint that charted the airline’s transformation comes from Temel Kotil, Ph.D., the company’s chief executive officer.
Just as Constantine (and later, the Emperor Justinian) utilized the city’s strategic location to build one of three great empires that would call Istanbul home, so has Dr. Kotil taken a look at the map in much the same way. “What I noticed is that there are few places on earth that afford such an ideal place for a commercial airline hub,” he said to TRENDS during a recent interview at the company’s Istanbul headquarters.The leaders of the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman empires were accustomed to fighting for their hold on the crossroads of the world. Today, Dr. Kotil has developed a strategy that will help him navigate Turkish Airlines through a fiercely competitive industry that would make even Justinian’s head spin. Those familiar with the Gulf are no strangers to airline hubs. Indeed, Dubai has staked much of its future on it being the word’s pre-eminent transportation hub.
These days, success in the airline industry hinges on several factors, such as the absence of pesky unions, stable fuel prices, and national subsidies to keep fares competitive while not skimping on service. But the foremost factor, proven by the rise of airport powerhouses like Dubai, has become location.

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