Hi, dear flight-report members and readers!
In this nostalgic FR I'd like to review a long-haul flight from now-long-defunct Istanbul Ataturk airport (ISL) to Hong Kong (HKG) on a Turkish Airlines B777-300ER, which took place exactly 10 years ago, 18 January 2016. From 2016 to 2024 I had quite a number of flights on TK, and this flight was my first long-haul one of them. I guess it would be interesting to look retrospectively from today on what was TK service back then.
Back then I lived in Russia, and this flight was the 2nd leg of the single ticket VKO-ISL-HKG-ISL-VKO, which was bought for about 200 pre-Covid EUR back in August 2015.
Turkish Airlines B777-300ER Fleet
As we all know, TK is not about first class service at all. But when the airline started to rapidly grow in late 2000s, it leased 4 2007-built B77Ws in 3-class F8_C30_Y274 layout with first class from Jet Airways (defunct from 2019) and then once again in 2013-2014 leased 2 other similar 2007-built B77Ws from 9W. Let's list those historical B77Ws which temporarily served TK:
TC-JJA (ex VT-JED) was leased from late December 2008 to July 2011.
TC-JJB (ex VT-JEF) was leased from late January 2009 to July 2011.
TC-JJC (ex VT-JEE) was leased from late December 2008 to June 2011.
TC-JJD (ex VT-JEC) was leased from October 2009 to September 2011.
VT-JEN and VT-JEP were leased from late May 2013 to October 2014 and were not re-registered into TC-***.
From 2010 TK started to receive its own B77Ws.
The 1st batch (12 units) - TC-JJE to -JJP - were delivered from October 2010 to September 2011 and had 3-class C28_W63_Y246 layout with 2-3-2 Zodiac Aura Lite lie-flat business class (between 1L/R and 2L/R doors), 2-3-2 (!) premium economy class with massive recliners, identical (except of fabric upholstery instead of "leather") to the narrowbody business class seats in A321s (2-class ones), B739s and B738s, occupying the entire space between 2L/R and 3L/R doors (!) and 3-3-3 economy class with Weber 5751 seats (with 18.5" seatwidth - the aerolopa's data is wrong). in the rest of the plane. With such configuration of premium economy this layout was underdelivering profit and in late-2015 - mid-2016 TK reconfigured these 12 planes into 2-class C49_Y300 layout, removing W-cabin, adding 3 business rows after 2L/R doors and a small economy cabin between this 2nd business cabin and 3L/R doors. Worth noting that TC-JJL to -JJP after the refurbishment got Safran Aura Enhanced business class seats - this model is an advanced version of Zodiac Aura Lite (Zodiac and Weber as seat manufacturer merged into Safran).
The 2nd batch (4 units) - TC-JJR to -JJU, delivered from mid- to late-2014, have 2-class C49_Y300 layout with 2-3-2 lie-flat Zodiac Aura Lite business class and 3-3-3 economy class with Weber 5751 seats (with 18.5" seatwidth - the aerolopa's data is wrong).
The 3rd batch (13 units) - TC-JJV/Y/Z and TC-LJA to -LJJ, delivered from March 2015 to June 2016, have 2-class C49_Y300 layout with 2-3-2 lie-flat updated Safran Aura Enhanced business class and 3-3-3 economy class with Safran Z300 seats (with 18.1" seatwidth - the aerolopa's data is wrong).
The 4rd batch (1 unit) - TK-LJK, the last TK's B77W (TK firstly refused to take it and then it was meant to go to Iran Air fleet, but due to the sanctions Iran was unable to receive it and TK eventually decided to take this plane). It also has 2-class C49_Y300 layout with 2-3-2 lie-flat Safran Aura Enhanced business class and 3-3-3 economy class, but with Turkish-produced TCI Skysofa seats (with 18.1" seatwidth - the aerolopa's data is wrong). One can find TCI Skysofa economy seats also in TK's latest 2016-built A333s TC-LNC/D/E/F/G and in TK's oldest GE-powered A332s - TC-JNA/B/C/D/E - which were refurbished in late 2017 with these seats in economy and with 2-2-2 Safran Aura Enhanced seats in business and were used as the "openers" of some new TK's long-haul destinations like ISL-BOG-PTY-ISL (I'll soon publish FRs, covering this flight) and ISL-HAV-CCS-ISL, but then (due to growing passenger flow and influx of A359s and B789s into TK's fleet) were shifted to the lower-end of TK's long-haul spectrum (up to 8 hours) and to the mid-haul flights.
As a resume: all TK's own 30 B77Ws have 2-class C49_Y300 layout with 2-3-2 lie-flat business seats and 3-3-3 economy, BUT:
TC-JJE to -JJK and TC-JJR to -JJU have Zodiac Aura Lite seats in business.
TC-JJL to -JJP, TC-JJV/Y/Z and TC-LJA to -LJK have Safran Aura Enhanced seats in business.
TC-JJE to -JJU have Weber 5751 seats (18.5" width) in economy.
TC-JJV/Y/Z and TC-LJA to -LJJ have Safran Z300 seats (18.1" width) in economy.
TC-LJK has TCI Skysofa seats (18.1" width) in economy.
From May-July 2016 TK has been leasing 3 2013-2014 built TC-LKA/B/C from Kenya Airways. These planes, as well as TC-JJE to -JJU, have 2-3-2 Zodiac Aura Lite business class and 3-3-3 Weber 5751 economy class, but the business class consists of just 4 rows (between 1L/R and 2L/R doors) and thus these 3 B77Ws has higher capacity - C28_Y372 - than the standard TK's ones. Though, the leasing is about to expire in 2026, and these 3 planes will soon return to KQ. It's very questionnable whether KQ is able to operated them profitably, taking into account that KQ's hub NBO is in the shadow of ADD - the hub of far more successful ET. It wouldn't surprise me if KQ will lease these 3 B77W to ET eventually, especially taking into account that their layout aligns perfectly with ET B77W layout.
Also TK has 3 high-capacity B77Ws with small business cabin and huge laterally dense 3-4-3 economy, occupying almost the entire plane: 2009-built TC-LKD (ex-Alitalia) and 2007-built TC-LKE (ex-EK and ex-Azur Air) in C7_Y524 layout (both are currently leased to IndiGo) plus 2007-built TC-LKF (ex-EK and ex-Royal Flight - defunct Russian airline) in C14_Y478 layout, mostly operating Hajj flights.
Thus, TK is one of just 24 airlines in the world, operating scheduled passenger flights with B777s in spacious and comfortable 3-3-3 layout and one of the few major airlines with large 3-3-3 B777 fleet (I've listed world's current 3-3-3 B777 operators in the FR of ET B77L).
Now-Defunct Istanbul Ataturk Airport (ISL)
It was my first time in Istanbul and in ISL airport. As I had 16-hour layover between VKO-IST and IST-HKG flights, I was eligible to join complimentary Tour Istanbul from TK (with the maximum length). It included breakfast and then visiting the main tourist sightseeings in the old city - Blue Mosque, Topkapi palace, Agia Sophia, Cisterna Basilica - with entrance included. In the morning the weather was sunny, but it quickly changed to overcast and afternoon rain, which in the evening, when I was brought back to ISL, turned into the wet snow.
For today's standard ISL looks very obsolete and cramped for the passenger flow that TK (and other airlines serving the airport) generated back then. In early 2016 ISL even didn't have the extension pier it got by the end of that year. On this photo one can see the landside of ISL.
Looking on this FID in the airside, one can imagine, how ISL was bursting with its passenger flow.
Planespotting In ISL
Some nostalgic planespotting from bursting ISL.
RR-powered A332 of Tunisair.
One of KE's now-long-gone B77Es and SU A320.
RR-powered A332 of MEA with its signature cedar on the tail.
TK's B77W (TC-JJK) which then still had 3-class C28_W63_Y246 layout. On this very aircraft just a month later I flew my the most memorable long-haul TK flight ISL-GRU during my first ever trip to Latin America.
The Aircraft
The aircraft that flew me from ISL to HKG was 2015-built TC-JJV - the first TK's B77W, featuring Safran Z300 seats in economy. Due to boarding via bus gate and stairs and nasty weather, I wasn't able to make good photos of the aircraft. Though, I got this very aircraft again in less than 2 months on the transatlantic flight from GRU to ISL, so I'll show its photo made in GRU.
The Business Class Cabin
The business class on all TK's own 30 B77Ws consists of 49 Zodiac Aura Lite lie-flat seats in 2-3-2 layout: 4 rows in the front cabin between 1L/R and 2L/R doors and 3 rows in the 2nd cabin after 2L/R doors. Here for the completeness I'll show some views of the 2nd business cabin with photos, taken on the same aircraft on GRU-ISL flight, and also taken on HKG-ISL flight, operated by younger TC-LJD with identical cabins.
The Economy Cabin
The economy class on TK's own B77Ws consists of 300 seats in the spacious 3-3-3 layout, distributed between 3 cabins: the front small one between the 2nd business cabin and 3L/R doors, the large middle one between 3L/R and 4L/R doors and the large rear one between 4L/R and 5L/R doors. The last photo in this gallery is from GRU-ISL flight. Worth noting that the 3 last rows (50 to 53) have lateral duo seat blocks due to the fuselage tapering in the rear.
The Economy Seat
My seat was 44A in the rear economy cabin, it has 1.5 windows at the disposal. The economy seat model is Safran Z300 - on of the best models for long-haul flights in economy. The seat has generous padding and is very comfortable. The seatwidth between armrests is 18.1" (I measured it later on TC-JOF - the first TK's A333 with Z300, delivered at the same time as TC-JJV), which is 0.4" less than possible maximum (18.5") for this layout. The seat has fabric upholstery, "leather" adjustable headrest, modern IFE with large screen, USB port and remote control, coat hanger, bi-fold tray table, seat pocket and legrest. The row pitch is good, but the legrest may interfere if you want to stretch the legs. If you lower the legrest and put your legs over it, you'll be able to stretch comfortably. Waiting on the seat were pillow and blanket. It was very neat to settle down in the comfortable seat, while outside the wet snow was falling and clinging to the windows.
The seatpocket content: safety card, inflight magazine, duty-free magazine and waste bag.
The crew handed simple headset with 2-pin adapter.
An example of the IFE content.
The Flight
While taxiing, we passed by a rare B77L from Turkmenistan.
Due to the cyclon that rolled over Istanbul, takeoff was very bumpy, and some of the passengers were even screaming. But when we broke through the thick layer of clouds, the ride became smooth.
The crew handed Turkish delight as an appetizer.
Then the dinner was served. I got a veg option with salmon appetizer, salad and dessert.
Then I fell asleep for a few hours. When I woke up, the sun had already risen and we were flying over snow-capped mountains of Afganistan…
… and then over Afgani snow-capped mountaineous plateaus and deep canyons.
Snowy mountains somewhere near Afgani-Pakistani border.
Less snowy mountains in Pakistan.
Some Pakistani settlements in the valleys.
Some more impressive mountaineous Pakistani landscapes.
It turned out that the IFE has camera translation with 2 views: forward and down.
Then the clouds covered the ground for a while. I decided to stretch the legs.
A wing view from 3L door.
The crew kindly allowed me to go through the 2nd business cabin to the 2L/R doors for engine views. The crew on this flight were really nice.
The lavatories near 3L/R doors are large with nice color theme and were well-stocked.
Leaving Pakistani airspace and entering the Indian one.
Himalayas in sight! We have to fly south of Himalayas: due to their height (8000+ MASL) flying over these mountains is not permitted, because in the case of cabin decompression the jet wouldn't be able to descent.
Actually we were flying quite far south of the Himalayas over "low" mountains, covered by a haze…
… and I had to use telelens on my camera to see the highest mountains on the planet.
Some unusual convection over the plain layer of clouds.
Something interesting ahead.
This must be Ganges river.
And - yes! - his majesty Everest, the Top of the World. Even though we're 300 km south of it, the view in the telelens is absolutely stunning!
The breakfast is served - omelette with sausage and cheese sandwich, plus cheese plate and dessert.
Meanwhile we're somewhere over northern Myanmar. The mountaineous landscapes are stunning.
As we were entering the Chinese airspace, we had to make a lot of maneuvers, even including an "orbit" (holding pattern) near Kunming.
Kunming in sight.
Human-transformed landscapes of southern China. On the last photo in this gallery one can see truffle-like hills.
CZ A320, flying on a lower FL.
A meandring river under some fluffy clouds.
Wuzhou city on Xunjiang river.
Starting the descent to HKG.
Descending and maneuvring over the clouds, covering Zhujiang river estuary.
Hong Kong - Zhuhai - Macao bridge in sight. At that moment it was under construction. This engineering marvel was opened in October 2018.
We landed in HGK at sunset. The whole daylight time was spent in the sky.
While taxiing to the gate, we passed some planes and liveries that went into the history since.
NZ B77E.
EY A332 in the old livery.
Dragonair A333. The airline was renamed into Cathay Dragon in November 2016 and was discontinued in pandemic 2020. Some of its aircrafts joined CX fleet.
AI B788.
Business Cabin After The Flight
The last glance on the 2nd business cabin upon disembarkment.
Hong Kong International Airport Terminal 1
A couple of distinctive elements of T1 HKG in the arrivals zone.
Bonus 1: Some Details From HKG-ISL Flight
To complement this FR, I'd like to add some details from the return HKG-ISL flight on a similar 2015-built B77W (TC-LJD) on 26 January 2016.
GE90-115B engine view from the jetbridge in HKG.
Pre-departure cabin lighting.
Cosmic-looking condensation stream on the wing after takeoff.
The crew handed out amenity kits.
The printed menu was the distinctive feature of pre-Covid TK (though, on ISL-HKG flight the menu was lacking).
The dinner - fish with potatoes and tomatos, salmon appetizer, salad, chocolate dessert, TK's signature lemonade, Turkish wine.
The breakfast - omelette version with cheese plate and fruits.
A view of GE90-115B engine upon disembarkment in ISL.
Bonus 2: Some Details From GRU-ISL Flight
And I'd like also add a few details from GRU-ISL flight, which was operated by the same TC-JJV on 8 March 2016.
Cabin lighting during boarding.
Engine view over the Atlantics.
Cabin lighting before landing.
Thank you for you attention and see you in the next FRs!
