Pide on board: Plane to serve as pita lounge in Türkiye's Trabzon
Glass bells are seen on the right side of the plane being turned into a pide lounge in Trabzon, Türkiye, April 18, 2023. (IHA Photo)


The Ankara-Trabzon aircraft, which skidded off the runway of a Turkish coastal airport and ended up halfway down a steep slope into the Black Sea, is counting the days to becoming a pide lounge in the Yomra district of Trabzon city on the Black Sea coast of northeast Türkiye.

The passenger flight, which veered off the runway while landing at Trabzon Airport on Jan. 13, 2018, was left to rot in Yomra and was allocated to three investors by the district municipality.

The total capacity of the aircraft is approximately 400 people, including facilities that can accommodate 40-50 people at the same time.

"We have spent approximately TL 4 million (around $206,180) on the plane so far," said one of the investors of the project Abdülkadir Bektaş, adding that they are currently working on the design of the pide room of the aircraft. "We have placed our aircraft and are currently doing the interior design."

Sharing the details of the interior of the plane, Bektaş said: "We are designing a visual cockpit with a creative concept with glass bells right next to our plane, something which is not very common in the Black Sea region. As a novelty, we thought that people should come with their families and have their meals and hold their meetings."

"The final touches are being made for the plane, which will serve as a pita lounge in the district, and it is planned to enter into service in one and a half months," Bektaş added.

The Pegasus Airlines’ Boeing 737-800 accident didn't report any loss of life, and all 162 passengers and crew members were evacuated safely.