Turkish Airlines (TK, Istanbul Airport) will transfer five of its B737-800s to wholly-owned subsidiary AJet (formerly AnadoluJet) to facilitate its certification and launch as a standalone airline in March 2024.
The airline did not respond to ch-aviation's request as to the identity of the five aircraft.
Turkish Airlines currently operates eighty-six B737-800s, of which 46 are dedicated to AnadoluJet's network. The carrier owns the majority of this subfleet and dry-leases 28 aircraft, including 12 of AnadoluJet's units.
While AnadoluJet does not currently have a separate AOC and operates as a division of Turkish Airlines under its 'TK' code, the B737-800s operated by the two divisions differ not just by livery but also by configuration. The mainline's units can accommodate up to 151 passengers, including 16 in a dedicated business class, while AnadoluJet's aircraft are configured for up to 186 or 189 passengers in a single-class layout.
Besides the forty-six B737-800s, AnadoluJet also operates nine A320-200Ns, fourteen A321-200NX, and seven B737-8s.
