Tailwind Airlines
A privately owned Turkish leisure airline operating scheduled and charter flights, primarily linking Antalya with European holiday markets using Boeing 737 aircraft.
About Tailwind Airlines
Tailwind Airlines is a privately owned Turkish carrier established in 2006 with Turkish and British investment. It received its operating approvals before beginning commercial flights in May 2009. Although classified as a scheduled airline, Tailwind has built much of its identity around leisure flying, charter services and capacity supplied to tour operators. Its IATA code is TI, its ICAO code is TWI, and its corporate headquarters are in Istanbul.
Antalya Airport is Tailwind Airlines’ primary operating hub, reflecting the importance of Turkey’s Mediterranean resorts to its business. Services principally connect Antalya with cities in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium and other European markets, while Istanbul may also feature in its operations. The network changes with tourism demand: many flights are seasonal, some are sold as scheduled services, and others operate for travel companies under charter arrangements.
Tailwind operates a compact Boeing 737 fleet that has included 737-400 and 737-800 aircraft. These narrow-body jets are suited to short- and medium-haul flights between Turkey and Europe. Aircraft are generally configured with a single economy-class cabin and relatively dense seating appropriate to a leisure carrier. Catering, checked baggage and seat-selection conditions can vary because some journeys are booked through tour operators rather than directly with the airline.
Tailwind Airlines does not belong to Star Alliance, SkyTeam or Oneworld, and it is not known to operate a conventional frequent-flyer programme. Travellers should therefore not expect alliance lounge access, through-status benefits or routine mileage earning. Tickets sold as part of package holidays may instead include benefits determined by the tour operator, making the booking confirmation the most reliable guide to baggage, meals and other included services.
Tailwind’s focused leisure model is useful for travellers seeking direct seasonal links to Antalya without connecting through a major network hub. Its small fleet and charter-oriented schedule, however, provide fewer recovery options when disruption occurs than passengers might find with a large network airline. Timetables and booking conditions can also differ by departure market, so travellers should confirm the operating airline, terminal, baggage entitlement and check-in instructions before leaving for the airport.
Good to know
Flying with Tailwind Airlines — what to expect
Seasonal Flight Schedules
Many Tailwind services are tied to summer leisure demand and may not operate year-round. Check the date-specific timetable rather than assuming a route is available throughout the season.
Tour Operator Bookings
Flights are often sold through package-holiday companies. Baggage, meals, changes and check-in instructions may therefore be governed by the tour operator’s booking conditions.
Single Economy Cabin
Tailwind’s Boeing 737 aircraft generally use an all-economy layout designed for leisure routes. Seat selection and extra-legroom options, when offered, depend on the flight and seller.
Check Baggage Terms
Allowances can vary by fare and package provider, so the entitlement shown on the ticket or travel voucher takes precedence. Confirm both cabin and checked-baggage limits before packing.
Limited Disruption Options
Because Tailwind operates a small fleet and a focused network, same-day alternatives may be limited during disruption. Keep the airline or tour operator’s contact details accessible while travelling.
Route network
Popular routes operated by Tailwind Airlines
Notable destinations on Tailwind Airlines's network.
TIAntalyadirectTIIstanbuldirectTIBerlindirectTIDüsseldorfdirectTIFrankfurtdirectTIHamburgdirectTIMunichdirectTIStuttgartdirectTIBrusselsdirectTIViennadirectTIZurichdirectDestination list is indicative of Tailwind Airlines's network; see the airline's official route map for its complete, current schedule.
Reviews of Tailwind Airlines
TripAdvisor · 2018–2023- 50
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What travellers flew
Counted from the 34 reviews below — a tally of the flights reviewed, with each chip carrying the average score those reviewers gave. Nothing here reads their prose or summarises what they said.
✓ marks a group averaging 7/10 or better, − one averaging 4/10 or worse, across at least three reviews.
Worst Airline ever
Selling a direct flight and then make a pitstop in Prag to let 80 people join us. 3 Hours delay with just a cup of plain water. Back from Antalya to Munich changed the flight times again from 13:30 to 09:00. Had to wake up children at 04:30 to catch the… See more flight. Bad service and no room to sit @ 1.86 meters. Pay a few € more and choose another line, not possible to fly worse than with them.
See lessPosted June 2023 by Tom Heger, Worgl
TERRIBLE!
You are an irresponsible airline, without customer service that provides solutions to the problems caused by selling oversold flights. I do not recommend anyone to use the "services" of this airline.
Posted May 2023 by Veronica N
I do not recommend it. There is a smell of gasoline when taking off, and the seats are uncomfortable
I do not recommend it. There is a smell of gasoline when taking off, and the seats are uncomfortable
Posted April 2023 by Ryan H
Great service in an awful plane in the worst of circumstances.
My husband and I were unfortunate victims of the Thomas Cook crash of 2019. We were enjoying our 5th wedding anniversary in Antalya when the news hit. We can't fault any of the information we received about our repatriation and this part went smoothly. However… See more the aircraft that greeted us was less than satisfactory. We were 2.5 hours late being able to to board and to quote, this was due to an issue of being able to keep the landing gear in place (I'm sure as you can imagine this was way too much info to receive when already on predicament). As we approached the plane there was an awful lot of mechanics under the plane on the front wheel. It seems irrespectively we were going up. After a further 2 hours sat in a plane with issues we were cleared to fly. Much against alot of our better judgements we were now airbourne. The cabin crew were amazing. They were all clearly doing a way longer flight than normal in most cases but they wanted to get it right. They couldn't have been more attentive if they tried. Big well done to them!! The pilot announced our descent in to Bristol. Everyone was now in their seats and very much looking forwards to finally being home. We got to a point where we could pretty much reach out and touch the ground when the pilot made a deep ascent. Our landing gear experienced some kind of issue we have since been lead to believe (not sure that duct tape can solve that issue). We felt several large jolts below us on the plane and began our descent a second time. Again we had a nasty ascent as the runway ending flew underneath us - we overshot it. The pilot tried one final time and made the call to land us in Birmingham instead (we never made any real change in altitude and we were landed immediately in Birmingham). It turns out Bristol is apparently a very short and technically difficult airport to negotiate without preparation. We were taxied to a fuel pump where the story of the landing gear was made apparent to us by someone in the CAA. They refused to let us leave the aircraft as they wanted to send us back to Bristol. They spent a further 3 hours trying to fix the issue with the landing gear before finally admitting defeat and allowing us to disembark in to the terminal. I think the whole circumstance was worsened by repatriation issues but overall the airline can be summed up as... Wonderful staff who tried really hard, unprepared pilots doing what they can to help out. Tiny aircraft designed for people no taller than 5ft 2inches, which seemed to have some serious technical faults.
See lessPosted July 2020 by Kat H, Bristol
Nothing special :)
NOthing special. Staff was quite friendley,seats are ok,even for 1,90cm people. Average quality for charterflight
Posted December 2019 by Annes U
It was OK for the money
I flew for the first time with this company and I was scared. Fact, 100 timex better than Smartwings. All departures and arrivals exactly.
Posted September 2019 by Jirinka123, Ostrava
Traveller reviews originally published on TripAdvisor, shown for reference — service standards may have changed since. Originfacts does not edit or verify individual reviews, and the sample reflects who chose to leave one.
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FAQ
Tailwind Airlines — frequently asked questions
Quick answers to the details travellers usually check first, from codes and locations to the practical basics that help with planning.
8 common questions
- Tailwind Airlines’ primary operating hub is Antalya Airport, the main gateway to Turkey’s Mediterranean holiday region. Some services may also operate from Istanbul or other Turkish airports.
- Prices are often lower outside peak school-holiday periods and when booked well before popular summer travel dates. Compare both flight-only fares and package-holiday options, since many Tailwind seats are distributed through tour operators.
- Tailwind’s longest route is not fixed because its seasonal and charter programmes change. Its flying is generally concentrated on short- and medium-haul services between Turkey and European leisure markets.
- Cabin-baggage rules can depend on the fare, charter contract or tour operator that issued the booking. Travellers should follow the weight and size limits printed on their ticket or travel voucher and confirm them before departure.
- Originfacts compares live fares from hundreds of airlines and travel agencies via its partner Travelpayouts. Originfacts never adds a fee to the prices shown.
- Tailwind does not maintain one stable year-round destination total because its programme varies by season and includes tour-operator charters. The current timetable or package provider should be checked for the dates of travel.
- Tailwind Airlines mainly links Antalya and other Turkish gateways with leisure markets across Europe, particularly cities in Germany and nearby countries. Its network includes scheduled and charter flights and changes seasonally.
- Antalya Airport is Tailwind’s principal departure point, especially during the European summer season. Istanbul and several European airports can also serve as origins for its scheduled or charter operations.