Turkish Airlines, Turkey’s national flag carrier, has signed a three-season sponsorship contract with FC Barcelona. The CEO of Turkish Airlines, Temel Kotil, while addressing a press conference termed the contract as “another success on the way towards becoming a global brand.”

The 7.7 million Euros sponsorship contract will give the Turkish Airlines right to place its logos on the billboards in FC Barcelona’s home stadium, Camp Nou, and all other locations where the team is playing. Turkish Airlines will also carry out relevant promotions and fly the FC Barcelona players to their tournaments.

According to Temel Kotil, the Turkish Airlines was able to grow during the financial crisis that affected the aviation sector around the globe. The passenger numbers of Turkish Airlines were up 11% to 25.1 million in 2009, according to official figures released by the company on January 13, 2010. However, this growth missed the company’s target of 26.8 million. Altogether, the airline currently has a fleet of 134 aircraft and serves 156 destinations world wide. Turkish Airlines targets to handle 40 million passengers annually by 2012.