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22 23 24 The IFE on the A330-300 is a generation behind what Turkish Airlines offers on its A321neos . The headphone connector partially worked and the sound quality was subpar .
25 A view of Istanbul as we climbed bound to Dubai .
26 The dinner on the Istanbul-Dubai flight was Kofte and bulgur . A Turkish delicacy that I enjoyed very much .
27 The skyline of the city of Dubai as the sun set after a long day at the IATA 2024 AGM .
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Soon after boarding , doors were closed and we were ready to fly over the Middle East . In the end , our flight ended up being delayed by just one hour as we took off in the middle of the night to Dubai .
My initial impressions of the Turkish Airlines Airbus A330-300 were the same as those I had had of the A330-200 . Its Economy cabin also looked dated , although in better shape and clean . Every seat had a pillow and a blanket and , this time , my IFE worked , although the connector to my headphones was loose , a detriment to the movie audio .
The IFE was also one generation older than that on the Airbus A321neo , with smaller screens and a wired remote control . Still , the airline had
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installed its Planet multimedia suite , so the content was the same as that we had enjoyed on the previous flight . This consistency will enable you to continue watching , on your second flight , any movie or show you had been enjoying on your previous one . Once settled at our cruising altitude , the service came in , with a choice of pasta and beef . This time , I ordered a beef kofta ( meatballs ) served with bulgur ( cracked wheat ). The portions , again , were exceptional . The flavors were rich and satisfying , providing a taste of the region ’ s culinary heritage .
Soon after our dinner and the customary coffee and tea service , the lights were dimmed and it was time to sleep a few hours before reaching Dubai .
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ARRIVAL IN DUBAI
We arrived in Dubai in the early hours of the day . As I disembarked from the plane and made my way through the airport , the sun was beginning to rise on the horizon and Fajr , the first of the five Islamic prayers of the day , began to sound from the airport ’ s speakers .
As I made my way through customs and into the arrivals hall , I once again reflected on the parallels between my journey and the ancient Silk Road . Dubai itself is a city that mirrors the evolution of the Silk Road , having transformed from a small fishing village to a global metropolis where people from all over the world come for business or pleasure .
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