BoraJet
11th in a Series: A Fictional LCC Airline Based in Türkiye
BoraJet is an independent Turkish low-cost airline operating domestic flights as well as international routes to Northern Cyprus, Europe and Southwestern Asia from its headquarters and base located on the grounds of İzmir Adnan Menderes Airport (ADB) in İzmir, Türkiye.
In addition to the company’s primary hub at İzmir-ADB, BoraJet also operates bases located at Istanbul Airport (IST) and Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW) in Istanbul, Türkiye, as well as at Antalya Airport (AYT) in Antalya, Türkiye.
History
1980-2000
BoraJet was founded by Bora Yılmaz (b 1949), a legendary race driver whose career spanned 1970-1981; he was considered to be one of Formula One racing’s greatest drivers of all time.
After completing his racing career, Mr Yılmaz started BoraJet in 1982.
Final Years of Bora Yılmaz’s Racing Career
Mr Yılmaz notched his 25th and final career win with a surprise last minute finish at the Monaco Grand Prix in 1979. The victory made him the first Turkish racer to ever win at Monaco, but on the same course the following year Mr Yılmaz’s luck ran out.
During the 1980 Monaco Grand Prix Mr Yılmaz’s racing car was brutally sideswiped by a competitor, such that it spun out and sent his race car plunging headlong several meters down an incline, catching fire along the way. After a devastating crash at the bottom of the incline, Mr Yılmaz was somehow able extract himself and escape from the burning car and walk away under his own power before collapsing by a roadside. Having sustained numerous broken bones, burns, and internal injuries, he required several months of convalescence in Italy to recover.
At the behest of his family, Mr Yılmaz decided to retire from racing at the age of 32, finishing a career that featured 170 starts, 25 wins, 54 podiums and 3 championships.
Since retiring, Mr Yılmaz has continued to attend Grand Prix races wherever possible. In 2005 he founded the successful BoraJet Racing Formula One racing team, a highly competitive enterprise that has attracted top shelf racers and routinely ranks among the best 5 racing teams in the sport.
BoraJet Startup and Early Years
In 1982, Bora Yılmaz established BoraJet Airlines (Turkish: BoraJet Havayolları), financing it in part with his accumulated fortune from car racing. For the airline's official logo he selected a cartoon drawing of his dog, Kral (Turkish: King), a lovable Kangal Shepherd who tagged along with Mr Yılmaz through much of his racing career and had became his F1 racing mascot. Bora loved Kral so much he had a 10 ft / 3 m bronze statue of him placed in front of BoraJet's offices at İzmir Airport.
Mr Yılmaz set up company headquarters in his native İzmir, Türkiye and started off with a single Douglas DC-9 T-tail airliner which began flying routes between İzmir-ADB «» Istanbul-IST.
About 6 months later the airline added a 2nd DC-9 that flew the first international routes, from İzmir-ADB «» Frankfurt-FRA and İzmir-ADB «» Hamburg-HAM. Soon more routes were added connecting İzmir-ADB «» Paris-ORY, İzmir-ADB «» Basel-BSL, İzmir-ADB «» Stuttgart-STR and İzmir-ADB «» Vienna-VIE.
From there BoraJet acquired further DC-9s and established a fairly lucrative foothold in Europe, bringing holidaymakers to İzmir while also connecting Turkish expats with Europe. BoraJet expanded gradually over time, usually adding roughly one new route per year.
For the first 20 years of its existence, the only domestic route BoraJet flew was İzmir-ADB «» Istanbul-IST. After 2002 the airline began to gradually connect with more destinations within Türkiye, although not as extensively as other carriers.
MD-80 Aircraft Growth
In keeping with Mr Yılmaz’s preference for airliners using a T-tail empennage configuration, in 1984 BoraJet began taking delivery of newer generation McDonnell Douglas MD-82 jets and their later variants, including the MD-83 and MD-88. The airline remained an all-Douglas carrier, flying the DC-9 and MD-8x aircraft exclusively for the remainder of the 20th century, until McDonnell Douglas merged with Boeing in 1997.
In 2000, BoraJet replaced its original red cheatline livery with an updated tail and fuselage design that displayed the name BORAJET in billboard style, while also modernizing the appearance of the company’s Kral dog logo to make Kral appear less sad and more dignified.
Beginning in the early 2000s, BoraJet had also started to incorporate the new Boeing 717-200 (formerly the McDonnell Douglas MD-95) into its fleet, preferring them over despite other aircraft types, although the company did acquire a few Boeing 737-700s along the way.
Transitioning to An All-Airbus Fleet
While the company was satisfied with the Boeing 717s, in 2005 BoraJet decided to begin a transition towards Airbus aircraft to increase the number of passengers carried per flight. They began acquiring Airbus A320-200s and Airbus A321-200s, mostly on lease, while retiring their DC-9s, MD-80s and Boeing 737-700 aircraft accordingly. By 2014 the airline had transformed into an all-Airbus fleet except for the remaining Boeing 717s. The 717s were originally supposed to be phased out by 2016, but they actually remained with the airline much later than planned, not leaving the line until 2022.
Expansion to Antalya-AYT
In 2010, BoraJet expanded southwards to Antalya-AYT, using many of its remaining Boeing 717s and other T-tail aircraft to upgrade that airport to focus city status. Following the same recipe used for success at İzmir-ADB, Antalya-AYT was connected to several European cities with significant Turkish expat populations and holidaymakers looking to vacation in Antalya. This move proved highly remunerative, and soon additional domestic routes and as well as flights connecting Antalya-AYT «» Dubai-DXB, Antalya-AYT «» Abu Dhabi-AUH, Antalya-AYT «» Medina-MED and Antalya-AYT «» Sharm El Sheikh-SSH helped to expand the company’s route network deeper into the Persian Gulf region.
Istanbul Regional Expansion Efforts
By the early 2010s, would-be customers living in the populous Istanbul region began to reach to BoraJet, looking to bring more of its low-cost carrier (LCC) routes to their market. As it happened, Mr Yılmaz and his senior staff had been thinking about setting up a company base at the Istanbul-SAW airport ever since that airport opened in 2001.
In 2013, Mr Yılmaz took the decision to set up the company’s 3rd operating base at Istanbul-SAW, but when the company began the expansion process they quickly encountered numerous bureaucratic and logistical roadblocks that made getting a foothold in Istanbul nearly impossible.
At the time, Istanbul’s airline market was enthralled by a duopoly consisting of 1) the huge national flag carrier, TUHY Airlines (Turkish: Türkçe Ulusal Hava Yolları, or Turkish National Airlines), which held sway over an already at-capacity Istanbul-IST (then known as Istanbul Atatürk Airport); and 2) Anatolia Airlines, a longstanding legacy carrier that was the dominant carrier at Istanbul-SAW (Sabiha Gökçen International Airport). When the Turkish government signaled that it might let BoraJet set up shop in Istanbul, TUHY Airlines and Anatolia Airlines took legal maneuvers to fiercely contest that decision in the Turkish courts.
For 3 years the airlines fought bitterly amongst themselves within the country’s various Civil Courts of First Instance. Then in 2016 the President of Türkiye asked Türkiye’s Supreme Court of Appeals, the Court of Cassation, to step in to resolve the matter once and for all.
After a careful review, the Court ruled mostly in favor of BoraJet. They granted BoraJet initial access to Istanbul-SAW, but to operate only international flights to Europe with the exception of two domestic routes connecting to BoraJet’s existing bases at İzmir-ADB and Antalya-AYT. BoraJet was also allowed to continue running flights from Istanbul-IST to İzmir-ADB and Antalya-AYT. The ruling ordered that once Istanbul’s new Istanbul Airport (also to be signed as IST) was opened, BoraJet would then be granted immediate rights to fly internationally from the new airport, while domestic flights could continue to originate mostly from Istanbul-SAW.
After some further litigation, in 2022 the Turkish government lifted the route restrictions against BoraJet at both Istanbul airports, after which BoraJet began to offer a mixture of international and domestic flights from both airfields.
Once the new Istanbul Airport opened in April 2019, BoraJet set up its new international flight hub at Istanbul-IST, while Istanbul-SAW was realigned to offer only domestic flights. To celebrate its arrival as a significant player in the Istanbul market, BoraJet also introduced the first of several recently leased Airbus A321LR aircraft, which immediately began flying routes to northern and western Europe.
Recent Fleet Management
In 2019 became one of the first customers to order the new Aria T102 Transonic jets, receiving the first ones in 2023. Additionally, BoraJet stated that the company would primarily operate the Airbus A321LR and the Aria T102 Transonic in the future, with the A321LRs services routes to Europe and the Arabian Peninsula, while the T102s would handly mostly domestic flights as well as a few thinner international routes. Since then, the airline has been trying to replace its older A321s and to retire its remaining Airbus A320s.
In 2020, Mr Yılmaz also leased three new Aria S102 Supersonic jets, which were set to begin deliveries in 2024. The new S102s will be used to open new routes to cities in the US, Canada, and Singapore-SIN.
Covid 19 Response
During the Covid 19 Pandemic, Türkiye did not order nationwide lockdowns until April 2021, but did require self-isolation and quarantine for anyone entering the country.
BoraJet narrowly avoided collapse by offering to carry cargo on any aircraft that was empty or had less than 50% passenger capacity. Mr Yılmaz helped bridge funding gaps using his personal funds and taking out loans, which have since been repaid. The airline also offered special one way repatriation airfares at cost to 1) Turkish nationals seeking to return to Türkiye, 2) foreign based customers seeking to return to their home country, and 3) medical and public health personnel traveling domestically on official business. Through this program, BoraJet helped thousands of Turkish citizens and foreign nationals to return home.
Today
Bora Yılmaz is still Chairman of BoraJet, but he retired as the company’s CEO in 2022 in favor of his son, Kerem Yılmaz. Kerem, a licensed ATP pilot who previoiusly worked as an executive for Airbus SE in France before returning to take charge of BoraJet, runs the company’s day to day affairs while father and son collaborate together on the company's future efforts and ambitions.
Destinations
BoraJet Airlines flies to the following destinations.
Abu Dhabi-AUH, United Arab Emirates
Adana-ADA, Türkiye
Amsterdam-AMS, Netherlands
Ankara-ESB, Türkiye
Antalya-AYT, Türkiye - Focus City [ Map Link ]
Barcelona-BCN, Spain
Basel-BSL, Switzerland-France-Germany
Berlin-BER, Germany
Brussels-BRU, Belgium
Budapest-BUD, Hungary
Bursa-YEI, Türkiye
Diyarbakır-DIY, Türkiye
Dubai-DXB, United Arab Emirates
Dusseldorf-DUS, Germany
Edinburgh-EDI, United Kingdom
Erzurum-ERZ, Türkiye
Frankfurt-FRA, Germany
Gaziantep-GZT, Türkiye
Hannover-HAJ, Germany
Hamburg-HAM, Germany
Istanbul-IST, Türkiye - Focus City [ Map Link ]
İzmir-ADB, Türkiye - Base and Hub [ Map Link ]
Jeddah-JED, Saudi Arabia
Kayseri-ASR, Türkiye
Konya-KYA, Türkiye
London-STN, United Kingdom
Manchester-MAN, United Kingdom
Medina-MED, Saudi Arabia
Milan-MXP, Italy
Moscow-DME, Russia
Munich-MUC, Germany
Nice-NCE, France
North Nicosia-ECN, Northern Cyprus
Nuremberg-NUR, Germany
Paris-ORY, France
Rome-FCO, Italy
Sharm El Sheikh-SSH, Jordan
Skopje-SKP, North Macedonia
St Petersburg-LED, Russia
Stockholm-ARN, Sweden
Stuttgart-STR, Germany
Tel Aviv-TLS, Israel
Tivat-TIV, Montenegro
Vienna-VIE, Austria
Warsaw-WAW, Poland
Zurich-ZRH, Switzerland
Fleet
Current Fleet
BoraJet Airlines currently operates the following aircraft.
† = JStream original aircraft
Airbus A320-200 - 2005-Present - Retiring 2024
Airbus A320neo - 2017-Present - Retiring 2025
Airbus A321-200 - 2005-Present - Retiring 2024
Airbus A321LR - 2019-Present
Aria T102 Transonic - 2023-Present †
Aria S102 Supersonic - 2024-Present †
Former Fleet
BoraJet Airlines formerly operated the following aircraft.
Boeing 717-200 - 2002-2022
Boeing 737-700 - 1998-2012
Douglas DC-9 - 1982-2002
McDonnell Douglas MD-82/-83/-88 - 1984-2012
=Nota Bene=
BoraJet is not based on any real life airline.
There was once a real life Borajet based at Istanbul-SAW that existed 2010-2017; I borrowed their name, but nothing else. I discovered that “Bora” was actually a Turkish masculine name, so from there I sort of borrowed the route network for AnadoluJet (now known as AJet), a subsidiary of the mighty megacarrier Turkish Airlines, and derived the aircraft fleet of the defunct carrier Onur Air, which existed 1992-2021.I haven’t used too many Douglas/McDonnell Douglas aircraft so far in the series, so BoraJet seemed like a good place to do that.
The character Bora Yılmaz is not based on any real life Turkish person, but instead is vicariously based on the real life Niki Lauda, the late Austrian racing driver and aviation entrepreneur who founded multiple airlines during his lifetime, including Lauda Air, Niki, and Laudamotion.
Kangal Shepherd Dogs are awesome, and Bora struck me as the sort of guy who might own one, though not solely because Kangals happen to originate from Türkiye. Kral, the name of Bora’s dog, means “King” in Turkish. Kangal Shepherds are a traditional flock guardian dog that were bred to protect sheep and fend off wolves, which makes them a pretty hardy breed.
Many working Kangal Shepherds wear a very spikey Wolf Collar in real life to protect them against wolf attacks. For Kral’s aircraft logo, however, I intentionally left off the spiked collar; it looked a bit too militant for an airline logo, plus Kral probably lived a life of great luxury with his famous, wealthy owner.
Regarding my use of the term Türkiye as the name for the nation of Turkey… The “Republic of Turkey” was officially named Türkiye Cumhuriyeti (Turkish: Republic of Turkey) back in 1923, when it replaced its predecessor, the Ottoman Empire. At that time, the Ottoman Empire was referred to in English as Turkey or the Turkish Empire. So the term Turkey followed the republic into the 20th century using that name.
Myself, I’ve been calling the country Türkiye since the 1990s, because one of my Turkish coworkers pronounced it that way. I thought his specific pronunciation sounded way cooler than Turkey, so I adopted it. As it happens, in May 2022 the Turkish government formally asked the United Nations to begin referring to their country as Türkiye, which the UN now does. So Türkiye it is.
All liveries depicted in this article were conceived and drawn by the Author.
Aria aircraft templates displayed in this article are fictional aircraft, whose original templates were drawn by the Author.
All other aircraft templates shown in this article are licensed from Norebbo and augmented by the Author for display. Blank side view templates of these aircraft are available for purchase through ShopNorebbo.
Route Maps were created using Great Circle Map.