He Is Turkish Airlines' Youngest Pilot

Kutay Karaman, the youngest child of flight instructors Kenan and Nagehan Karaman, was born on February 23, 2003, in İzmir, Turkey.

Growing up in a family deeply rooted in aviation — with his father, mother, and older brother all being pilots — Kutay developed a passion for flying from an early age. Inspired by his father, Karaman said, "My father encouraged all of us to pursue this profession. While he was working as a flight instructor, he once took my mother on a one-hour flight. She was so impressed by the experience that she decided to become a pilot herself. Today, my mother actually has better flight grades and exam results than all of us."

Karaman earned his pilot’s license at the age of 17 — an age when he wasn’t even eligible for a driver’s license yet. "I started my training at 16. At 17, I was conducting solo cross-country flights to cities like Bursa, Edremit, Çanakkale, and İzmir. I even ferried planes to and from various cities in Greece. While this is common under general aviation rules worldwide, I’m very proud to have been the first person to achieve this in Turkey. Continuing my career under the prestigious banner of Turkish Airlines makes it even more special," he said.

After obtaining his Private Pilot License, Karaman pursued his dream of becoming an airline pilot — a dream he realized with Turkish Airlines. Describing his journey, he explained:

"Turkish Airlines had opened a recruitment call for high school graduates. While I was still pursuing my university education abroad, I applied and successfully completed all the required steps. I applied to THY at 19 and officially joined at 20. I am currently working as a First Officer on the Airbus A320 fleet. My next goal is to become the youngest Captain at Turkish Airlines."