It’s Here! All About the Brand New Turkish Airlines 787 Dreamliner – First Routes, Cabins, and More!

Since the first leaks appeared months ago, many have been eagerly anticipating the arrival of the new Turkish Airlines 787 Dreamliner. Not only does it represent a new model of aircraft for the airline that flies to more countries than anyone else, but it was also going to be the first aircraft to deliver the latest business class cabin for Turkish Airlines.

It’s Here! All About the Brand New Turkish Airlines 787 Dreamliner

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Get to know the newest member of our family.

See you soon on a flight experience that’s #LikeADream with Dreamliner!#TurkishAirlines pic.twitter.com/jKHtb6havR

— Turkish Airlines (@TurkishAirlines) June 20, 2019

One Curious Note: There are some reports making the rounds that, apparently, during the media showing of the new 787 Dreamliner, one of the windows may have melted on the inside from the heat of the lights being used for filming and shots. I find this to be very curious indeed and not sure how this will impact the schedule and the aircraft going forward. But, you can read more about that here.

Last week, the first Turkish Airlines 787 Dreamliner landed in Istanbul (at the new Istanbul Airport) and Turkish has provided some information about the new Turkish Airlines 787 Dreamliner that gives details on the business class cabin, economy cabin, and the first routes to get these aircraft as they roll out of the shop.

The new Turkish Airlines lounges will make an awesome transition point from the ground to the new 787 Dreamliner as well!

New Turkish Airlines 787 Dreamliner Interior

There is no question that the service aboard any Turkish Airlines flight (be it in business or economy) has been top notch for years. Not only is their food really good, but the flight experience itself has made me return to Turkish Airlines again and again (in fact, I have flown them more in economy and business than any other airline – except for domestic US airlines).

But, there is also not question that the cabins were getting a bit dated. As more airlines were upgrading their business class cabins (complete with doors – even Delta!), Turkish needed to do something. Well, they have provided some nice upgrades for both business class and economy and here are the details.

Business Class Details

Turkish Airlines had decided to go to a 1-2-1 business class layout which will ensure that each passenger has aisle access. This is the first time they have done this on any aircraft (especially with the 2-3-2 seating on their 777 aircraft!). This is definitely something that, by itself, will make many business class passengers happier.

There will be a loss of 2 inches in bed length from the 777 (76 inches on the new Dreamliner) as well as a loss in total business class seats to accommodate for the new business class layout. The Turkish Airlines 787 Dreamliner will have 30 seats in all while the 777-300 has 49. The Airbus A330 only has 28 seats so that will allow for a couple more on the Dreamliner.

The new HD media display will be 18 inches (I am not sure of the current size on the other aircraft) and the new screen will definitely be an upgrade over the displays in many of the current aircraft. It can be hit and miss with screen quality on some (though still really good). Regardless, getting an aircraft in 2019 means a really nice display so that should pair nicely with the inflight entertainment selections that Turkish offers.

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We’re getting the know the newest member of our family, the Dreamliner, with images from Business Class!#TurkishAirlines #LikeADream pic.twitter.com/bDzSrfpplf

— Turkish Airlines (@TurkishAirlines) June 20, 2019

They will also be offering privacy shields (as opposed to sliding doors) which should also be an improvement over the current business class layout. Finally, the seat-side table will be a nice place to spread out some things if you are working in flight. The current setup is utilizing a mid-seat console that is shared by both passengers and really not that helpful.

Economy Class Details

I have flown Turkish Airlines in economy class a lot and they are a pleasure to fly with – especially with kids (nice kid packs and great attention given to children).

Business class is not the only one getting an entertainment upgrade – the first 6 Dreamliners to be delivered will have a new 12″ HD display with the following aircraft getting 13″ HD media displays. That will put them at the top in the industry for economy class entertainment units.

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Here is the first video from our new plane, Dreamliner. #TurkishAirlines pic.twitter.com/tWxVUSR2tl

— Turkish Airlines (@TurkishAirlines) June 19, 2019

The layout in economy is sticking with the 3-3-3 of the 777-300 aircraft, as opposed to the 2-4-2 of the A330. Personally, I preferred the 2-4-2 since I would always take a window in years past, but the new 3-3-3 means I would likely start selecting an aisle in the middle section (more freedom to move around and possible to sleep without being bothered since the middle seat passenger can go out the other side).

The legroom will be at 31 inches which is an inch under what some other airlines offer. It appears that this is 1 inch less than what is currently available on the 777.

Which Destinations Will Be Getting the New Turkish Airlines 787 Dreamliner First?

The first Turkish Airlines 787 Dreamliner will be making its passenger voyage from Istanbul to Antalya, Turkey on July 8, 2019. The first international flight will take place on one of the newer routes, Istanbul to Bali (Denpasar) on July 17.

After that, they will be using the Dreamliner for flights to the following destinations as they get more aircraft (they are scheduled to have six by the end of August) (all start dates are tentative as found by me and may change):

• London (Monday, September 2 | Flight 1985)
• Dubai (Monday, September 2 | Flight 762)
• Washington, DC (Thursday, August 8 | Flight 7)
• New York (Saturday, August 24 | Flight 11 – this is not a regular schedule from this point)
• Atlanta (Tuesday, September 10 | Flight 31)
• Mexico City (Sunday, August 25 | Flight 181)
• Cancun
• Amsterdam
• Delhi
• Panama City
• Bogota

I have written in this post about the earliest scheduled flights for the Dreamliner to the US (there are some one-off flights to JFK with the Dreamliner in August).

Summary of the New Turkish Airlines 787 Dreamliner

Not only does the new Turkish Airlines 787 Dreamliner present a new cabin for business class customers that will seriously elevate their offering, but this is also an important addition to the Turkish fleet because of what the Dreamliner offers. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner has shown itself to be a more comfortable aircraft for travelers over many other aircraft types because of the technologies onboard that help with pressure and air movement. With Turkish Airlines being situated in somewhat the middle of the world and servicing more countries than any other airline, this technology will be very important for Turkish Airline passengers to be able to better enjoy the journey.

Featured image courtesy of Turkish Airlines