Turkish Airlines: aircraft and routesTurkish Airlines: aircraft and routes

History and development

Turkish Airlines has had a history since 1933. The company's first international route connected Istanbul and Athens in 1947; later Istanbul became the basis of a large network of transfer flights.

The company began as a state-owned overhead line management and received its current name in 1955. In 2008, Turkish Airlines joined Star Alliance, expanding its connectivity with partner airlines.

The first flights of the Turkish state carrier in 1933 connected Istanbul, Eskisehir and Ankara. The international stage began later: in 1947, a regular route to Athens appeared, and then geography gradually expanded far beyond the borders of neighboring countries.

The first decades of Turkish Airlines were mostly domestic: state administration connected Turkish cities with a small fleet. The flight to Athens opened an international stage in 1947, and a later reorganization consolidated the name of Tjork Hava Yollar. The network then grew along with the demand for travel through Istanbul between Europe and other regions.

The expansion of Turkish Airlines went from a small state network to a large international carrier. The first aircraft served the cities of Turkey, then there were flights to neighboring countries and long-distance destinations. The change of Istanbul airport in 2019 was a continuation of this story: the previous infrastructure was no longer enough for the scale of the transfer hub.

Milestones

• 1933: The State Air Lines Authority launched domestic flights between Istanbul, Eskisehir and Ankara.
• 1947: The Istanbul-Athens line became the first regular international route.
• In the mid-1950s, after the reorganization, the name Tjork Hava Yollar was fixed.
• 2008: Turkish Airlines becomes a full member of Star Alliance.
• 2019: The main program moved to Istanbul’s new airport, designed for large transfer flows.

Route networks

Through the Istanbul hub, the carrier connects Europe, Asia, Africa and America. Narrow-body aircraft serve short and medium routes, and wide-body aircraft serve long-range destinations.

Istanbul’s location between several regions helps to build trips through a single hub. The passenger can fly there on a short European flight and continue the journey by long-haul aircraft.

After the opening of the new Istanbul airport, the main program of Turkish Airlines was moved there in 2019. The hub collects flights from many cities, so when buying a trip with a transfer, you need to pay attention to the specified Istanbul airport.

The network through Istanbul is convenient for destinations between which there is no direct flight. It relies on short hauling areas and long-haul flights agreed upon in a single schedule. However, it is important for the passenger to check the duration of the transfer and the airport on each segment: several airlines and Istanbul airports can meet in one search result.

Aircraft and features

Airbus and Boeing fleet covers different distances: the A320 and Boeing 737 are suitable for shorter routes, and the A330, A350, Boeing 777 and 787 are suitable for long-distance routes. Thanks to this, flights of one hub can serve several continents.

The carrier uses the Miles & Smiles loyalty program. When traveling with several airlines, it is important to look at the operating carrier at each site: the type of aircraft, cabin and a set of services from partners may differ.

The name Tjork Hava Yollar was adopted by the airline in the mid-1950s. Further growth in long-distance destinations required wide-body machines, and participation in Star Alliance since 2008 added opportunities for travel on partner flights.

The diversity of the fleet helps to perform flights at different distances from one node: Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 serve many near directions, and A350, Boeing 777 and 787 - long. The company is also developing its own pilot training. When choosing a difficult trip, it is important to check the actual carrier at each site, especially if the ticket includes Star Alliance partner flights.

Membership in Star Alliance has added partner opportunities to Turkish Airlines’ own routes. The Miles&Smiles program links some of these trips to mileage, but the rules depend on the fare and the carrier. The diversity of Airbus and Boeing makes the fleet flexible: the wide cabin of a long-haul flight differs from a plane delivering passengers to Istanbul from a neighboring country.