Turkish Airlines, one of the world’s oldest carriers, turns 91 years old in 2024. We took a look at the history of the airline’s fleet and network.
The foundation
Turkish Airlines (TK/THY) began operations as Türkiye Devlet Hava Yolları (TDHY) on May 20, 1933 with just 5 aircraft. The initial fleet comprised two Curtiss Kingbirds, two Junkers F 13s and one Tupolev ANT-9. The airline’s modest fleet was reflective of Turkey’s limited aviation infrastructure in the 1930s. The airline was led by famous Turkish aviator Mehmet Fesa Evrensev, the first Turkish Ottoman aviator who served as CEO of the fledgling company.
In 1947 the carrier conducted its first overseas flight from Istanbul to Athens, expanding to destinations including Nicosia, Beirut and Cairo and gaining an additional 28 aircraft by 1951. In 1955 the company gained the name Turkish Airlines, and was registered with the recently founded IATA (International Air Transport Association). The carrier was the largest airline in the region around this time, with a large number of Douglas DC-3 aircraft purchased as far back as 1945 providing the backbone of the fleet.
Early modernization
The airline established a hub for international flights at Istanbul Yeşilköy Airport, opened in 1953. The airport would go on to be renamed Attatürk Airport (ISL/LTBA) in the 1980s and served as Istanbul’s main airport until commercial flights were transferred to the new Istanbul Havalimanı Airport (IST/LFTM) in 2019.
The first notable fleet modernisation came in 1958 in the form of 5 British-build Vickers Viscount 794 turboprop aircraft, a step change from the aging and issue-prone DC-3s and C47s. Whilst six Fokker F27 Friendships joined the fleet in 1960, some of the DC-3 aircraft only left service as late as 1967.
Joining the jet age
Turkish Airlines began their search for a jet in 1965, initially scoping out various European and American-built types including the BAC One-Eleven, Hawker Siddeley Trident, McDonnell Douglas DC-9 and Sud Aviation Caravelle. The DC-9 was the winner, joining the fleet in 1966. The DC9 fleet ramped up throughout the 1960s, and was joined by the Boeing 707 in 1971. The airline’s Viscount turboprops were removed the same year.
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