Türkiye – Turkish Airlines Flight Academy (TAFA), the ab initio pilot training arm of Turkish Airlines, has officially welcomed Fatih Ünalan as its new CEO.

• Fatih ÜNALAN officially assumed his role as CEO and expressed gratitude to Prof. Dr. Ahmet Bolat, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of Turkish Airlines Inc., and Capt. Mehmet KADAİFÇİLER, Chairman of the Board of TAFA and Deputy General Manager (Flight Operations) at Turkish Airlines, for their trust and support.

• He extended his thanks to former CEO Assoc. Prof. Dr. İbrahim Zeki Akyurt for his contributions during his tenure, acknowledging his role in advancing the academy’s capabilities.

• The leadership transition comes at a time of continued growth for TAFA, which has been expanding its training fleet and capacity to support Turkish Airlines’ long-term pilot requirements.

• TAFA currently operates over 60 aircraft, with 7 new aircraft delivered in August 2025.

• The academy conducts flight training at six different airports across Türkiye.

• The training center employs over 100 flight instructors and more than 200 total aviation professionals.

• Nearly 500 cadet pilots are currently enrolled in training.

• The academy plans to expand its training fleet to 107 aircraft by Q1 2027

• TAFA has trained and graduated over 900 pilots in the past five years, with 220,000 total flight hours logged as of December 2024.

Statement:

• “I am excited to share that I have officially started my new role as CEO at Turkish Airlines Flight Academy (TAFA). I am truly honored by the trust placed in me, and I would like to extend my sincere thanks to Prof. Dr. Ahmet BOLAT, Chairman of the Board and Executive Committee at Turkish Airlines Inc., and Capt. Mehmet KADAİFÇİLER, Chairman of the Board at TAFA and CFOO at Turkish Airlines Inc. and all my managers for their confidence and support. I am fully committed to doing my utmost to live up to this trust and to contribute to TAFA’s continued growth and success. Additionally, I would like to express a special thanks to former CEO Assoc. Prof. İbrahim Zeki AKYURT for his valuable contributions during his tenure.” stated Fatih Ünalan.

Source: Turkish Airlines Flight Academy