Exclusive: Turkish Airlines Reverses Course on Premium Economy, Targets 2028 Launch
Photo Credit: A TurkIsh Airlines Airbus A350-900. Vincenzo Pace / Vincenzo Pace/aerovincenzo.com
Skift Take
For years, Turkish Airlines said it could thrive without premium economy. Now, one of aviation’s most notable holdouts is preparing to join the club.
Turkish Airlines will introduce a premium economy cabin as soon as 2028. It marks a major reversal for a carrier that has spent years insisting it did not need the increasingly lucrative mid-tier product.
Speaking at the IATA Annual General Meeting in Rio de Janeiro, newly appointed chairman Murat Şeker revealed that the airline is actively developing a new premium offering.
“We are going to have premium economy,” Şeker exclusively confirmed to Skift. “Our thinking is as early as 2028 – at the beginning of 2028 – we will be able to introduce a premium economy class in our Airbus A350s.”
Turkish Airlines has long been one of the most prominent holdouts in the premium economy debate. While competitors have embraced the cabin in recent years, Turkish maintained that its relatively affordable business-class fares and network structure made a mid-tier product unnecessary.
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