Ultra-long-haul aircraft will be added to the fleet of “Turkish Airlines“, the national airline of Turkey. With them, the company plans to expand its network of direct flights. The new ultra-long-haul aircraft are scheduled to enter service at the end of 2027, Hurriyet Daily News reported, BTA reported.
According to a statement by the company's Chairman and CEO Murat Seker, around 420 aircraft of specially configured versions of the Airbus A350-1000, designed for ultra-long-haul flights, have been ordered.
The new aircraft will allow the airline to operate direct flights lasting up to 17 hours. This will make it easier to reach long-distance destinations such as Sydney and Melbourne directly. The designed Airbus A350 aircraft will connect Istanbul directly with Buenos Aires and Lima, to which “Turkish Airlines” there are currently no direct flights.
2026 is expected to be difficult due to significant pressure on the airline industry as a whole and on „Turkish Airlines“ due to significant pressure on fuel costs.
The impact of the ongoing challenges is expected to decrease after the end of the summer season.
The head of „Turkish Airlines“ predicted that the airline could achieve a capacity increase of only about 1 to 2 percent this year, while the initial target was about 7 to 8 percent.
„The airline's extensive network helps it effectively overcome the current challenges. We hope to end this year with limited losses and moderate growth, and then continue the growth path of „Turkish Airlines“ "from where we left off," says Murat Şeker.
Ultra-Long Range (ULR) aircraft are specialized wide-body aircraft capable of flying between 16 and 20 hours non-stop. They connect remote points on the planet directly, saving time and avoiding intermediate landings.