Türkiye's flag carrier Turkish Airlines (THY) announced Monday it plans to offer unlimited and free Wi-Fi service to all passengers across its entire fleet within two years.
The carrier signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Türkiye’s state-owned satellite company Türksat and the airline's subsidiary TCI Aircraft Interiors at the Farnborough Airshow held this week in the U.K.
"Stay connected at 30,000 feet! In partnership with TCI Aircraft Interiors and Türksat we will bring free and unlimited Wi-Fi to our entire fleet by the end of 2025. We're integrating the latest in-flight connectivity tech to keep you online," Turkish Airlines said in a post on X.
The signing ceremony held at the airshow was attended by Turkish Airlines Chairperson Ahmet Bolat, the general manager of the flag carrier Bilal Ekşi and the general manager of Türksat Hasan Hüseyin Ertok.
Within the scope of the project, which is expected to start at the end of this year and be completed in two years, the carrier plans to strengthen its existing fleet with the latest in-flight connectivity (IFC) technologies and equip new aircraft with more efficient IFC technologies.
In this way, the company will be able to offer unlimited, uninterrupted and faster IFC service to all its passengers, free of charge, by extending the IFC service it offers in a large part of its fleet to its entire fleet.
Turkish Airlines separately announced it showcased its new business class suite during the first day of a major aviation event held south of London, where other domestic companies such as Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) are also presenting its products.
The carrier, known for its vast network, carried 40.6 million passengers in the January-June period, up 4.8% when compared to the same period in 2023, it said earlier this month.
The company operates with a total of 458 aircraft, including passenger and cargo aircraft, and has announced plans to nearly double its fleet by 2033.
Late in 2023, the company agreed on a major Airbus deal involving 230 aircraft and is in talks with Boeing for additional orders for more than 200 jets, which appeared to be on hold at the time.
Turkish Airlines won't announce a plane order at this week's Farnborough Airshow, with a deal for narrowbody jets still held up by negotiations over engines, its chairperson said.
Its plan to order more than 200 Boeing jets is being held up by differences with engine supplier General Electric Co. over maintenance costs, according to a report on Tuesday.
Bolat said in an interview with Bloomberg TV at the Farnborough Airshow that the carrier is pressing GE to lower its demands on maintenance. "Once they move, we will sign the deal," Bolat said.
Türkiye's national carrier is looking to buy as many as 175 Boeing 737 Max jets, with the rest of the order made up of the larger 787 Dreamliner model.