Boeing 787 Dreamliner joins Turkish Airlines' fleet 

ISTANBUL-Anadolu Agency

Turkey's national flag carrier Turkish Airlines announced that a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner has joined the carrier's fleet.

According to a statement by Turkish Airlines on May 26, up to 30 Boeing 787 aircraft would join the fleet within next four years.

"The Turkish national flag carrier had placed 25 firm 5 optional orders in last year for the 787-9 Dreamliner, which will be gradually added to its expanding fleet -- the youngest in the world -- between 2019 and 2023," it said.

The carrier said new aircraft, which has a seating capacity for 300 passengers, offers more comfort, range flexibility and fuel efficiency.

"As part of the 787 Dreamliner family, the 787-9 is powered by a suite of new technologies and a revolutionary design," the carrier noted.

The aircraft's economy class seats and business class monuments were manufactured by Turkish firms in Turkey, it added.

The first flight of the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner will be made on July 8 from Istanbul Airport to the Mediterranean resort city Antalya.

Meanwhile, Turkish Airlines in a survey which began on June 25 had asked people to choose the name of the new aircraft. Over 246,000 people participated through social media micro blogger Twitter.       

The Airlines thanked all participants and named its new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner as Maçka –home district of 15-year-old Eren Bülbül, killed by a PKK terrorist in 2017.       

With a fleet of 337 passenger and cargo aircraft, Turkish Airlines now flies to 311 destinations in 124 countries -- 261 international and 50 domestic.

Turkish Airlines was named Best Airline in Europe by Skytrax for six years in a row between 2011 and 2016, and chosen the Best Airline in Southern Europe for the ninth consecutive time in 2017.