Türkiye to start manufacturing training aircraft

One of Türkiye’s leading defence companies, the national aerospace company TUSAŞ, will establish cooperation with the national air carrier Turkish Airlines to produce training planes for pilot training for civil aviation.

The project is being implemented as part of an agreement between Turkish Airlines Flight Academy (TAFA) and TUSAŞ, Anadolu reports.

According to the agreement, 20 single-engine training planes will be produced in the first phase.

Turkish Airlines Board Chairman Ahmet Bolat said the airline will need 11,000 pilots over the next 10 years and the total number of vacancies for pilots in global civil aviation is projected at 300,000.

The airline chief drew attention to the staffing shortage in Türkiye. "TAFA currently graduates 201 pilots a year, while the total for Türkiye varies between 600 pilots, while the vacancy rate is around 1,000," he said.

Bolat said the first batch of training planes will be handed over to THY in 2026. "We plan to order another 100 aircraft in the next 10 years," he said.

According to him, the importance of the project also lies in the fact that these will be the first civilian aircraft produced in Türkiye.

"In the future, production will reach 200 aircraft per year. TUSAŞ will export these aircraft to the world market as well," Bolat said.

Turkish Aerospace Inc. (TUSA) is Türkiye's technological centre for design, development, production, integration of aircraft systems, modernisation, and after-sales service.

The Turkish Aerospace manufacturing factory, located in Ankara, spans 5 million square metres and has a 150,000-square-metre industrial facility.

The firm operates a contemporary aircraft factory outfitted with high-tech gear and equipment that enables it to provide wide production capabilities spanning from part fabrication through aircraft assembly, flight testing, and delivery.