At the end of this summer, Turkmenistan Airlines purchased a pair of second-hand Boeing 777-300ERs. Both of the aircraft are roughly 12-year-old ex-Cathay Pacific Airways airframes. The first of the two aircraft has now arrived in Turkmenistan’s capital Ashgabat, and the second one is expected to follow soon.
Continue reading to learn more about Turkmenistan Airlines’ 777-300ERs.
Turkmenistan Airlines Bought 2 Ex-Cathay Pacific 777-300ERs
The two 777-300ERs that Turkmenistan Airlines acquired were delivered to and then operated by Cathay Pacific until the spring of 2022 when they were stored. Over a year later, on August 30, 2023, SGI Aviation announced it managed to sell the two aircraft to Turkmenistan Airlines on behalf of its client.
The sole Turkmen airline bought the aircraft as part of the government’s “National Program for the Development of Civil Aviation of Turkmenistan for 2012-2030.”
On October 10, 2023, the first aircraft was taken out of storage in Teruel, Spain, and flown to Lake Charles, Louisiana, where Boeing has a maintenance facility, to undergo maintenance before being put in service by Turkmenistan Airlines. The second aircraft was ferried on the same route about a month later, on November 7, 2023.
The two airframes are as follows:
- MSN 37898: Originally delivered to Cathay Pacific Airways in April 2012 as B-KQA, stored as 2-TKQA, and now registered EZ-A781
- MSN 39235: Originally delivered to Cathay Pacific Airways in May 2012 as B-KQB, stored as 2-TKQB, and now registered EZ-A782
With maintenance done, the first airframe, EZ-A781, was ferried as flight T53781 from Lake Charles to Turkmenistan’s capital Ashgabat between December 2, 2023, and December 4, 2023. The aircraft first flew from Lake Charles to Turkmenbashi and then finished with a short domestic hop to Ashgabat.
The second airframe is expected to follow soon.
It is not clear when the two aircraft will enter into commercial service.
Turkmenistan Airlines 777-300ER Seat Configuration
According to Turkmenistan Airlines’ press release, the two aircraft are each equipped with 368 seats in three classes including 40 in business class, 32 in premium economy class, and 296 in economy class. Judging by the seat number, it seems that the aircraft are in the same seating configuration as they were when operating for Cathay Pacific Airways.
Chances are the seats are exactly the same as when the aircraft was in Cathay’s fleet – i.e. they were not reupholstered. At least both airlines’ primary color is green (albeit a fairly different shade).
In either case, passengers who will travel on the aircraft in business class can expect comfortable reverse herringbone seats in a 1-2-1 layout. Those in premium economy class and economy class can expect standard seats in 2-4-2 and 3-4-3 (3-3-3 at the very back of the aircraft) layouts.
Turkmenistan Airlines 777-300ER Routes
In addition to the 777-300ER which is yet to be put into service, Turkmenistan Airlines has three active widebody aircraft. All of them are 777-200LRs and one of them (EZ-A780) appears to be used by the Turkmen government.
The other two regularly operate the longer flights in Turkmenistan Airlines’ limited network. I.e., those between Ashgabat and:
- Beijing Capital
- Frankfurt
- London Heathrow
On some days, they also operate between Ashgabat and Istanbul.
While it is not clear which routes the 777-300ER will be deployed on, it is likely to be one of the three longer ones. If that is the case, the equipment change will be a considerable upgrade in terms of onboard experience, especially for business class passengers. The 777-200LRs seem to be in a 2-3-2 layout.
Summary
Earlier this year, Turkmenistan Airlines acquired a pair of ex-Cathay Pacific Airways 777-300ERs. Just a couple of months later, on December 4, 2023, the first of the aircraft arrived at the airline’s base – Ashgabat Airport. The second aircraft is expected to follow soon.
The aircraft will be used with the same seat configuration as they were during their time with Cathay Pacific.
While it is not clear when the aircraft will enter into service or what routes they will operate, chances are it will be one of the longer routes now operated using Turkmenistan Airlines’ 777-200LRs.
