Turkish Airlines is on track to fly 60 million passengers this year by tapping into greater trade and travel between Africa, Asia and Europe, and by funneling customers through its Istanbul hub.

The carrier expects to grow its passenger numbers by 24% on the 48.3 million it flew last year, as about half its international customers now travel through Istanbul. The airline's business increasingly mirrors the successful hub strategies of Persian Gulf airlines such as Emirates Airline and Qatar Airways.

"We are focusing on organic growth," Turkish Airlines chief executive Temel Kotil told The Wall Street Journal ahead of the Farnborough International Airshow. "We are building from Istanbul a strong hub."

The airline currently has a fleet of 256 aircraft, of which about 50 of those are widebody jets, predominantly Boeing Co. 777 and Airbus Group NV A330 aircraft. The airline has 30 more wide-bodies on order, with deliveries running up until 2017.

Mr. Kotil plans to operate 450 aircraft by 2021 and would consider buying Boeing 777X or 787 Dreamliner jets, as well as Airbus A350s and A330neos, should the Franco-German manufacturer launch a revamped version of the popular A330.

Having built up a strong customer base in Africa and Central Asia, Turkish Airlines will, this year, launch a number of routes in North America and South America, a market underserved by its Gulf rivals. The airline will launch flights to Mexico City; Bogotá, Colombia; Havana; and Caracas, Venezuela, this year, on top of Buenos Aires and São Paulo, which it currently serves, Mr. Kotil said.

Turkish reported a net loss of about US$110 million in the first quarter of the year, about 10 times as large as the loss in the same period in the previous year. Mr. Kotil stressed the airline would be profitable on an annual basis this year, without elaborating further.