Türkiye Breaks Records In The Skies. The Engine Crisis Will Determine The Future Of The Fleet

Turkish Airlines Is Growing,
Türkiye Breaks Records in the Skies
There is growth in aviation; strategy is essential.
Engine Crisis Will Determine the Future of the Fleet
The F-35 File Has Been Reopened: The Ankara–Washington Line Is Heating Up

Dear readers,

Turkish aviation has recently been going through an extremely intense agenda in both civil and military dimensions. On the one hand, there is growing passenger traffic, expanding fleets and Türkiye’s ambition to become an international air transport hub; on the other, there are critical platform choices in the defence industry that will shape the coming years. Developments in recent weeks have once again clearly demonstrated how inseparable these two areas actually are.

The scale reached by Turkish Airlines has moved Türkiye to a different position in the global aviation league. With the maturation of the Istanbul-based hub-and-spoke model, THY has become a significant transfer player on Africa–Asia and Middle East–North America routes. Increasing passenger numbers and load factors are clear evidence that this success will grow rapidly in the coming years.

However, growth also brings difficult decisions. The uncertainty experienced by THY regarding engine supply within the scope of its Boeing orders points to a technical vulnerability. The challenging progress of negotiations with CFM and the possible emergence of an Airbus alternative are critical in terms of how the fleet will be shaped in the coming years. This process clearly reveals how strategic the engine and maintenance supply chain has become in global aviation.

Meanwhile, flight traffic records broken in Turkish airspace in recent months have become the most important indicator of how effectively the country is using its geographical advantage. Türkiye, a natural air corridor between East and West, has become a strategic centre in terms of airlines, air traffic management and infrastructure capacity with increasing transit flights.

Defence Industry: F-35, KAAN and the Crossroads

In the defence industry, the hottest topic on the agenda is the F-35 talks that have recently regained momentum between Türkiye and the United States. Diplomatic contacts conducted between the parties in recent days indicate that the file, which had long been shelved, is being reopened. Statements by the US Ambassador to Ankara emphasising the dialogue between the leaders of the two countries and using the phrase “the most productive talks of recent times,” along with related remarks, have made the lighting of green lights on the F-35 issue an important development.

However, the most significant issue standing in the way of the process is the condition that the Russian-made S-400 air defence systems be taken out of service.

Although Ankara has clearly demonstrated that its position on this issue has not changed, both sides do not completely rule out the possibility of progress in the coming months.

The F-35 issue goes far beyond a technical aircraft debate. This matter is directly linked to NATO integration, the modernisation of the Turkish Air Force and Türkiye’s place within the Western defence architecture. At the same time, it raises the question of the strategic framework within which the indigenous fifth-generation fighter aircraft project KAAN will progress. While the F-35 may offer a short-term capability solution, KAAN constitutes the cornerstone of the long-term goal of independence.

These developments in civil and military aviation clearly show that Türkiye no longer has the luxury of making fragmented decisions. From airline fleets to fighter jets, from engine supply to airspace management, every topic requires a long-term and holistic strategy.

At the point reached today, Turkish aviation has grown quantitatively. The real test is whether this growth can be transformed into permanent capacity and strategic power through the right choices. Steps to be taken in the F-35 file, THY’s fleet decisions and airspace investments will determine the direction of this story in the period ahead.

While this activity in the skies presents a significant opportunity for Türkiye, the transformation of this opportunity into value depends on the quality of the decisions taken today.

I wish all aviation professionals a safe and peaceful week.