COVID-19 may have dealt the Airbus A340 its final card, as airlines seek to retire this four-engined aircraft. In Turkey, however, this iconic airliner may have a new life beyond the pandemic.
Turkey’s largest restaurant, Körfez Uçak, converted a retired Airbus A340 into a restaurant with seating for 280 peope. Prior to its 2014 retirement, TC-JDK flew for Turkish Airlines for over 21 years.
In 2016, the scrapped A340 was cut into eight pieces in Istanbul and transported to its new home in Burhaniye, Turkey. Real estate agent Huseyin Caliskan told Xinhua that the move was a logistical nightmare and required seven trucks!
Since its opening, the aviation-themed restaurant has become a key attraction in the area. Numerous couples have even hosted their weddings in the relatively small fuselage, according to Mr Caliskan.
After suffering from serious health problems, the entrepreneurial owner has decided to sell the restaurant (including the aircraft) for its original price tag of 10 million Lira ($1.42 million).
It remains unclear as to why two engines are missing. The owner may have purchased the A340 with only two engines, in an attempt to save money.
Source: Fleet data and Xinhua
I don’t think it was purchased with only two engines, it was purchased with zero engines. You can see the engines, wing flaps, and rudder are parts that were likely sold off prior to purchase, since those can be reused and sell for decent money. Pretty cool idea!