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Turkish defense manufacturer Baykar, the world's largest producer of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), has begun preparations to launch a commercial air cargo airline, according to a report by aviation journalist Tolga Ozbek.
The Istanbul-based company plans to begin operations with a single Airbus A321P2F cargo aircraft and expand its fleet over time, according to the report.
Baykar has already started recruiting staff for the new venture.
Job listings on Baykar's career platform indicate the company is preparing to launch and operate a new commercial air cargo business.
"Our newly established commercial air cargo transportation operation aims to conduct national and international air cargo transportation in line with the principles of safety, quality, and operational excellence," the job posting states.
"Our operations will be carried out in accordance with national and international civil aviation regulations and company procedures, and a professional and sustainable organizational structure centered on a culture of safety will be established," the job posting added.
The postings indicate the new operation will cover flight operations, ground services, cargo operations, continuing airworthiness management (CAMO), maintenance organizations, and safety and security management systems. The new business is intended to be structured in line with national and international civil aviation standards.
Beyond captain and first officer positions, Baykar is recruiting for a range of roles, including dangerous goods specialist, loading specialist, ground operations manager, financial affairs specialist, security manager, crew planning manager, continuing airworthiness manager, and quality and Safety Management System (SMS) manager.
The new air cargo business will also establish a separate operational structure for transporting dangerous goods, according to Baykar's dangerous goods specialist job posting.
The company aims to conduct dangerous goods transport processes in line with the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations, ICAO Technical Instructions, and relevant regulations from Türkiye's General Directorate of Civil Aviation.
This will include the acceptance, inspection, classification, packaging, labeling, and documentation of dangerous goods to be transported by air, as well as preparing loading plans for dangerous goods, tracking related personnel training, and assessing operational risks, according to the job posting.
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The A321 is currently Airbus's largest single-aisle aircraft model, according to Ozbek's report.
A321 aircraft that reach a certain age undergo a specialized conversion process in which the cabin and seats are removed to turn them into cargo aircraft.
A321s can carry cargo both in the cabin and in the belly hold, and a large cargo door is fitted to the left side of the aircraft to allow faster loading, which is why these aircraft are known as P2F, or Passenger-to-Freighter, conversions.
The aircraft has a total cargo capacity of about 28 tons and a range of 3,800 kilometers. The A321P2F is already in use in Türkiye by MNG Airlines and BBN and offers about 28% more volume and 22% more cargo capacity than its competitors.
Baykar already operates in civil aviation through Cevheri Air, a subsidiary that provides air taxi services.
Cevheri Havacilik began flights in 2022 with a Canadian Bombardier Challenger 605 business jet, registered TC-CVR, which it added to its fleet that year.
In recent months, the company reportedly took steps to add a long-range Bombardier Global 6500 business jet to its fleet. The Global 6500 has a range of 12,223 kilometers and is noted for its spacious cabin.
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