A global payment processor called UATP is adding Turkish Airlines as a client.

The principal service of UATP is to offer airlines and other clients the opportunity of alternative forms of payment. In the world of commercial airlines, these kinds of digital tools can help innovate core processes and bring more quality to passengers.

As a regional flight provider with a significant footprint in Istanbul, Turkish Airlines sits at the entryway to the Balkan region, serving many travelers moving into or out of countries like Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia, Slovenia and Bulgaria. The airline, which has been in business since 1933, recently garnered a Europe Status Airline Award for the sixth consecutive year.

The hope is that new digital services and business partnerships will enhance what Turkish Airlines brings to the table, which could, in turn, have a positive effect on Turkey's economy and those of its immediate neighbors in the Balkans.

“Issuing UATP gives Turkish Airline’s clients access to a more cost-effective payment solution while receiving the most detailed travel data in the industry,” UATP’s President and CEO Ralph Kaiser said in a statement to Balkan Business Wire. “UATP looks forward to partnering with Turkish Airlines to provide a valuable business travel card that offers additional benefits to clients including payment installment plans, discounts, extra baggage allowances and access to the Istanbul Lounge.”

While airlines in some parts of the world might already have these types of technologies in place, Kaiser said the adoption is unprecedented for an airline in the Balkan area.

“Turkish Airlines is the only airline in the region that offers this type of business travel payment solution,” Kaiser said. “The Turkish Airlines Corporate Club Card can be used for payment with any merchant in the UATP network, giving travelers in the Balkans access to more flights globally.”

Turkish Airlines isn't the only carrier in the world pursuing these types of modernizing agreements. In a highly competitive industry, major airlines in regions like the Persian Gulf are quickly investing in many different types of information handling and tracking services, which will enhance customer comfort, make flight experiences more efficient or help provide a better brood map to long-term success. 

The partnership that Turkish Airlines is making with its global payment provider is just one more step in a sea change to modernize flight and bring economic vibrancy to national carriers.