Turkish 500th

Turkish Airlines unveiled its 500th aircraft, an Airbus A350 named TK Family at Istanbul Airport on February 12. The plane features a livery that has photographs of the airline’s 100,000 employees and retirees. The airline was launched in 1933 with five aircraft, now serving 356 destinations across six continents. The unveiling was attended by executives, former senior staff, retirees and the aircraft with call sign TK500 performed a ceremonial flight tracing the number 500 in the sky. 

The airline also displayed replica aircraft representing each major fleet milestone — the 100th in 2006, 200th in 2012, 300th in 2016, and 400th in 2023. Chairman Prof. Ahmet Bolat described the 500th aircraft not as an endpoint but as the beginning of a “Second 500” era. The airline is targeting a fleet of 1,000 aircraft by 2036.