⚠ Summarised by AI based on an external source. Last updated: 4 June 2026. Starthubs is not liable for any inaccuracies. Always consult the official challenge information.
Turkish Airlines, the airline that flies to more countries than any other, has opened applications for its Terminal Startup Accelerator Program 2026. The programme invites startups to test their solutions for apron, baggage, passenger and air cargo operations directly within Turkish Airlines' operations, driving the digital transformation of aviation. Selected startups run a PoC or pilot with the relevant business units between July and November 2026, supported by mentorship and corporate access, and successful graduates are presented to the investment committee.
What is Turkish Airlines looking for?
The programme covers five focus areas with 18 concrete challenges:
- Robotics and mobility: autonomous vehicles and robotic solutions for ground handling
- Baggage operations: real-time baggage traceability and cabin baggage analysis via image processing
- Apron operations: ULD tracking, reducing aircraft damage from ground vehicles, damage alert systems and boarding bridge energy management
- Passenger experience: IRROPS passenger management, zone boarding, check-in queue management and multilingual translation systems
- Air cargo: cargo measurement automation, workforce optimisation, pallet damage analysis, operational forecasting, forklift monitoring, door-to-door delivery and ergonomics
Detailed challenge briefs per topic are available as downloads on the official programme website.
Who is this for?
Startups building a solution for one of the focus areas, with a product that directly impacts apron, baggage, boarding, check-in, ramp or cargo operations. Both pre-revenue startups validating product-market fit and revenue-generating scale-ups are eligible. Applicants must have a working product (MVP or beyond), be ready to launch a PoC or pilot within Turkish Airlines operations and commit time to mentorship sessions and meetings with corporate business units. There is no participation fee.
What's in it for you?
- A PoC or pilot project within the operations of one of the world's largest airlines
- Equity investment opportunity: graduates are presented to the Turkish Airlines investment committee
- Mentorship plus access to Turkish Airlines and its subsidiaries, including Turkish Technic, Turkish Cargo and AJet
- Access to the corporate partners network, perks and tools
- Demo Day in November 2026 and an ongoing relationship with the programme after graduation