Turkish
Airlines began operations in 1933 under the name Devlet Hava Yolları (State
Airlines of Turkey), originally as a department of the Ministry of Defense. Its
early mission was clear: to improve connectivity across a geographically
complex country.
However, true progress would not arrive
until the postwar years, marked by the introduction of the Douglas DC-3 and an
unprecedented expansion of regional services. This momentum continued into the
late 1950s, when the airline embarked on a modernization program with the
arrival of the Vickers Viscount 794 (1958) and the Fokker F-27 Friendship
(1960).
By the mid-1960s, Turkish Airlines was
preparing to enter the Jet Age. Proposals from BAC, Douglas, Hawker Siddeley,
and Sud Aviation were evaluated, with Douglas ultimately selected and the DC-9
entering the fleet in 1966. This decision triggered the gradual retirement of
piston-powered aircraft, beginning with the venerable DC-3s and later the
Vickers turboprops.
The transformation did not stop there. The
F-27, despite its relative modernity, was also slated for replacement.
Following the familiar philosophy of “better than a Fokker is another Fokker,”
the airline turned its attention to the Fokker F-28 Fellowship. By that time,
the F-28 had already established itself across Europe as a capable short- and
medium-haul jet, particularly well suited to operations from challenging
airports where aircraft like the DC-9 were at a disadvantage.
This was a critical factor for Turkey,
where many inland airports were located in mountainous regions and suffered
from limited infrastructure during the early 1970s.
In 1973, Turkish Airlines achieved its
objective of becoming an all-jet airline. The F-27s were withdrawn, Boeing 707s
entered service, negotiations began for the future acquisition of the Douglas
DC-10, and the first Fokker F-28s arrived.
The
inaugural aircraft, msn 11057 (TC-JAO),
joined the fleet in January 1973, followed by msn 11058 (TC-JAP) and msn 11060 (TC-JAR).
The final aircraft, msn 11070 (TC-JAS),
was delivered in July.
Additionally, a leased F-28, msn 11032,
arrived in June. Previously used for demonstration and temporary operations, it
wore a SATCO livery—belonging to the Peruvian company specializing in
commercial and demonstration flights—with THY titles. Registered as TC-JAZ, it remained in service until
August 1973.
Reflecting Turkish Airlines’ commitment to
national identity and regional integration, the aircraft were named after
inland cities: Van, Bursa, Sivas, and Samsun. These cities also became regular
destinations, along with Konya, Erzurum, Balıkesir, Bandırma, Kayseri,
Diyarbakır, Trabzon, Antalya, Adana, Malatya, and Izmir, all served from
Istanbul.
A particularly notable operation was the
Ankara–Istanbul shuttle, where the F-28 replaced larger aircraft during periods
of lower demand. International regional routes included Beirut, Nicosia, and
Athens.
Tragically, the fleet’s history was
overshadowed by two fatal accidents. The first occurred in January 1974, when
TC-JAO, operating Flight 301, failed to take off from Izmir. One year later,
TC-JAP, operating Flight 345—also from Izmir—crashed into the sea during its
approach.
These
accidents effectively sealed the fate of the F-28 within Turkish Airlines. The aircraft
were relegated to a secondary role, and all plans for further acquisitions were
abandoned.
Nevertheless, the two remaining aircraft
continued flying until late 1987. In their final year, they were transferred to
the subsidiary Boğaziçi
Hava Taşımacılığı
(Bosphorus Air Transport), created to rationalize THY’s operations while
maintaining capacity in specific markets. As Turkish Airlines modernized and
standardized its mainline fleet, its oldest aircraft were assigned to BHT,
where the last F-28s concluded their careers, primarily on charter services.
Both remaining aircraft were sold to Transport Aérien Transrégional in
September 1987.
Over time, the Fokker fleet at Turkish
Airlines became the subject of persistent rumors. Among the public, the
aircraft were widely regarded as “cursed.” Other claims—likely originating
within the airline—suggested that the aircraft had been delivered with inherent
defects. These allegations prompted an investigation by the Turkish Ministry of
Transport, which ultimately determined that no technical faults existed and
that both accidents were the result of human error.
While this conclusion helped to partially
restore the aircraft’s reputation, the legend of a “cursed fleet” has
endured—particularly in aviation forums and online discussions—cementing the
Fokker F-28’s unique and controversial place in the history of Turkish
Airlines.
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