Decommissioned Turkish Airlines A340 destroyed by fire at aviation center

Pensioner Airbus A340 who spent more than two decades flying for Turkish Airlines was destroyed by fire on Saturday, September 5, at the aviation research center in Türkiye.

The fire broke out on the street. Aviation and Science Center UchakPark in Çayırov, Kocaeli Province, where a former airliner has been preserved as an educational attraction. Video from the scene showed flames engulfing most of the fuselage as firefighters tried to control the blaze.

During the fire, the rear fuselage lost structural integrity and the tail section of the aircraft collapsed onto nearby fire trucks. Despite the dramatic incident, local authorities reported no casualties.

The cause of the fire is not yet known and an investigation is underway.

https://x.com/airwayaviation/status/2096557425419567534

More than 20 years at Turkish Airlines.

The aircraft was TC-JDL, an Airbus A340-311 with factory serial number 57. It was delivered new to Turkish Airlines in 1994, when the four-engine wide-body aircraft was an important part of the carrier’s developing long-haul fleet.

TC-JDL remained with Turkish Airlines for over two decades and also wore Star Alliance colors for part of its career. The airline eventually retired its A340 fleet as new twin-engine wide-body aircraft switched to long-haul flights.

After decommissioning, the aircraft escaped decommissioning and was acquired by the municipality of Çayirov.

His initial future on the ground was very different from what ultimately happened. The municipality planned to convert the A340 into a restaurant and reportedly spent 1.5 million Turkish lira on the aircraft.

The project was subsequently abandoned due to a change in local administration. By 2020, Turkish media reported that the aircraft was falling into disrepair in the open air, and the untapped investment was the subject of local political criticism.

From a restaurant project to an aviation center

Over time, the A340 found another purpose. Instead of becoming a restaurant, it was incorporated into UçakPark, an aviation and science center developed as an educational institution.

The preserved aircraft became the centerpiece of the facility, allowing visitors to enter the former commercial wide-body facility while the facility hosted aviation and science-related events.

Its destruction marked the end of an unusual second life for the aircraft, which survived its retirement from commercial service.

The A340 was Airbus’s first four-engine widebody aircraft, entering airline service in 1993. Production ended in 2011 after 377 aircraft had been built in the A340-200, -300, -500 and -600 variants.

Although relatively few remain in scheduled passenger service, some retired A340s have survived as government aircraft, test platforms, training equipment or preserved exhibits.

Damage to TC-JDL appears extensive, with fire engulfing most of the fuselage and the rear section collapsing during the emergency response.