By Gokhan Ergocun
ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkey’s national flag carrier Turkish Airlines announced that a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner has joined the carrier's fleet.
According to a statement by Turkish Airlines on Wednesday, up to 30 Boeing 787 aircraft would join the fleet within next four years.
"The Turkish national flag carrier had placed 25 firm + 5 optional orders in last year for the 787-9 Dreamliner, which will be gradually added to its expanding fleet -- the youngest in the world -- between 2019 and 2023," it said.
The carrier said new aircraft, which has a seating capacity for 300 passengers, offers more comfort, range flexibility and fuel efficiency.
"As part of the 787 Dreamliner family, the 787-9 is powered by a suite of new technologies and a revolutionary design," the carrier noted.
The aircraft's economy class seats and business class monuments were manufactured by Turkish firms in Turkey, it added.
The first flight of the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner will be made on July 8 from Istanbul Airport to the Mediterranean resort city Antalya.
Meanwhile, the flag carrier started a survey, which was participated by over 180,000 people in an hour, through its Twitter account to choose the new aircraft's name.
With a fleet of 337 passenger and cargo aircraft, Turkish Airlines now flies to 311 destinations in 124 countries -- 261 international and 50 domestic.
Turkish Airlines was named Best Airline in Europe by Skytrax for six years in a row between 2011 and 2016, and chosen the Best Airline in Southern Europe for the ninth consecutive time in 2017.