A fire broke out on a retired Airbus A340 once associated with Turkish Airlines at the Kocaeli Aviation Science Center in Türkiye, damaging the aircraft’s tail section. The widebody, which had previously avoided the scrapyard, was on public display when the incident occurred. No injuries were reported, and the available information does not confirm the cause or the full extent of the damage.
The aircraft was no longer in service and had been preserved as a display piece at the aviation centre rather than operating in airline service. The fire affected the aft section of the jet, leaving a notable display aircraft damaged in an incident that drew attention because of the aircraft’s unusual post-retirement fate. No further operational disruption was reported beyond the damage to the parked airframe.
The incident adds a fresh chapter to the history of a jet that escaped scrapping and later became part of a public aviation exhibit. At this stage, there is no verified information on whether restoration work will follow or whether the aircraft can remain on display in its current condition.