Executive Traveller exclusive
Turkish Airlines will reveal its next-gen business class suite in May, ahead of a roll-out across the entire Boeing 777 fleet beginning in early 2025.
The private suites will also crown ultra-long range Airbus A350-1000 jets slated to begin non-stop flights to Sydney and Melbourne from late 2026.
Speaking with Executive Traveller in Melbourne, following the arrival of the inaugural flight from Istanbul, Turkish Airlines chairman Professor Ahmet Bolat confirmed the seats – being developed under the codename Crystal, which might carry over as a marketing brand – will make their public debut on May 28, headlining the annual Aircraft Interiors Expo show in Hamburg.
Bolat also revealed the Crystal suites will “of course” have the very on-trend sliding door, alongside other high-tech comfort features now expected by business class flyers.
The seats are a bespoke creation from the carrier’s Turkish Cabin Interior (TCI) arm and will be exclusive to Turkish Airlines, Bolat told Executive Traveller.
Bolat said the modern 1-2-1 layout would allow 44 business class seats in the Boeing 777, representing a loss of just five seats from that jet’s 2-3-2 layout as the Star Alliance member ditches the dreaded ‘middle seat’ (something which Emirates is also doing).
Bolat also confirmed the Crystal business class suites would be installed across the airline’s entire Boeing 777 fleet, although that process wouldn’t begin until “early 2025”, with each 777 rolling into the upgrade hanger for around one week.
The carrier has previously planned to retire many of its older 777s, Bolat said, but ongoing delays in the delivery of new aircraft meant all the 777s must continue flying for now.
“We were thinking to phase out some of our old fleet with the current stream of the new-generation aircraft, but it appears that we have to keep them for a longer time.”
Turkish Airlines’ current Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 business class.
And from 2026, Crystal business class would also be fitted to Turkish Airlines’ Airbus A350-1000 jets – in keeping with their non-stop 17-hour non-stop flights to Australia.
However, Bolat didn’t indicate the flagship Crystal suites would make their way onto the Airbus A350-900 or Boeing 787 fleets; he also ruled out the return of Turkish Airlines’ Comfort Class premium economy, saying “we are happy with our two class configuration.”
As previously reported, Bolat also revealed Turkish Airlines would offer fast free WiFi for all passengers from 2025.
