TURKEY: Turkish Airlines Has The 300th Aircraft

Turkish Airlines has added its 300th aircraft to its fleet on Friday, as the company aims to boost its fleet to 500 aircraft by 2023.

The addition of the plane was celebrated with a ceremony at Istanbul Atatürk Airport.

The addition of the 300th plane, TC-LNC, to Turkish Airlines fleet was celebrated with a ceremony that was held today at Istanbul Atatürk Airport (IST) in the new hangar of Turkish Technic Inc.

The ceremony included the participation of Turkish Airlines Board Chairman, M. Ilker Ayci, Turkish Airlines CEO, Dr. Temel Kotil, Airbus Regional Sales Director/Middle East and Europe, Douglas Anderson, and Airbus Contracts Director, David Bonnel, as well as a large number of business partners and media representatives.

Speaking at the ceremony, Turkish Airlines Board Chairman M. Ilker Ayci said that Turkish Airlines was at the top among the fastest growing airlines worldwide.

“With 300 aircraft in our fleet today, we are the world’s 13th largest airline in terms of fleet size, and with 39 new aircraft to be added by the end of this year, Turkish Airlines will be even more prominent at the international level with its young fleet,” Ayci said.

Douglas Anderson, Senior Sales Director of Airbus expressed gratitude to Turkish Airlines “for their confidence in Airbus aircraft”.

“Ten years ago Turkish Airlines was operating with only seven wide-body aircraft and today they have more than 70. We are honored to be a partner in their growth and look forward to be a part of their growing fleet in the coming years,” he said.

“Turkish Airlines received its 100th aircraft in August 2006, 73 years after its establishment. Nearly seven years later, in March 2013, its fleet reached 200 aircraft. With 300 aircraft in our fleet today, we are the world’s 13th largest airline in terms of fleet size*, and with 39 new aircraft to be added by the end of this year, Turkish Airlines will be even more prominent at the international level with its young fleet,” Turkish Airlines chairman Ilker Ayci told.

“We are determined that Turkish Airlines will have the strongest base in international aviation with its highly-qualified workforce and its young, modern fleet. We have made huge efforts to reach that objective as a big family working together. The 300th airplane is one symbol of our determination to reach the vision and objectives that we’ve set,” Ilker Ayci added.

Following the ceremony, the aircraft was handed over to Turkish Airlines.

Powered by CF6-80E1 engines, Turkish Airlines’ last Airbus A330-300 aircraft is the first aircraft to be equipped with galleys from TCI – Turkish Cabin Interiors – and economy class seats from TSI – Turkish Seat Industries – all manufactured in Turkey.

Turkish Airlines’ new aircraft will be deployed on existing medium and long-haul routes from the Turkish Airlines Istanbul hub, adding more capacity to enhance the airline’s growth strategy.

Established in 1933 with a fleet of five aircraft, Turkish Airlines today is a 4-star airline with a fleet of 300 passenger and cargo aircraft flying to 284 destinations worldwide.

Turkish Airlines operates 159 Airbus aircraft, including 53 A330 variants.

Taking its place as one of the world’s major airlines, Turkish Airlines continues to grow its fleet in order to meet the needs of its ever-growing network and expanding customer base. Turkish Airlines also wishes to serve its customers with Europe’s youngest and most modern fleet.