Turkish Airlines’ Airbus A380neo Order

Turkish Airlines is among the world’s largest carriers, but opted against flying the A380-800, despite its hub-and-spoke system.

For an airline to not purchase the A380-800 and instead be interested in the A380neo is incredibly rare, but not impossible.

Turkish Airlines is the only company that never committed to the A380-800 but instead held interest in the purchase of a possible A380neo to help drive its future fleet.

Why was the company interested? What was this model? Did it stand a chance of being built, and was it alone in its interest?

Turkish Airlines’ Interest

Turkish Airlines’ interest in a prospective A380neo came in the 2010s, several years after Dubai-based Emirates first mentioned the jet.

Speaking with Gulf News at the Dubai Airshow, the airline’s Chief Investment and Technology Officer at the time said that a new high-capacity aircraft order was being studied.

That high-capacity order was seen as integral for the future opening of the new airport in Istanbul, which was going to open up a plethora of new opportunities for future air travel.

While the A380 program was touted, so was the Boeing 747-8, oddly, this pursuit coming at a point where both aircraft were wildly out of favour.

Turkish Airlines believed a newer, more efficient model, which would be achieved through a re-engine of the A380-800, could’ve been a possibility.

If released, the business said it would’ve been encouraged to commit to the plane. However, it was still in the process of studying whether the jet would truly work in its operation, given its requirement of a particular business model.

Turkish Airlines’ interest in the A380neo didn’t have a set number surrounding it; Emirates had claimed in the mid-2010s its intention to buy 60 to 80, on top of its already 100+ A380-800s, but the Istanbul-based company did say it would be substantially less than this.

Emirates Calls For The Plane

The only other carrier that has championed the release of the A380neo has been that of Emirates, arguably the leader in the scene, and one that, in 2025, still has its President, Sir Tim Clark, say a release would be a good thing.

Emirates’ interest in a prospective Airbus A380neo, while being prominent in the last few years, far predates this timeframe, with interest first emerging through comments shared in 2014.

The Dubai-based carrier, at the time led by President Tim Clark, spoke with the Financial Times about the proposition of a new A380 model launching sometime in the future.

At this point, it’s key to remember the A380 was still active, the plane was also still being delivered, and the planemaker had yet to see what would unfold with the program that would ultimately lead to its demise.

Emirates also held orders still for the A380-800. With the backlog for the series remaining and aligning with Emirates’ business model, there was already a need to advance the fleet further.

In the interview, Clark reaffirmed his stance in 2014 that they were interested in the launch of an A380neo, and if the project moved forward, they would buy it in numbers, considering acquiring some 60 to 80 units.

Was Airbus Going To Build It?

While it was all well and good for Emirates to discuss its interest in the jet, alongside Turkish Airlines sharing its opinion that a re-engine could’ve been of some interest, Airbus would’ve needed to take that interest and its studies and give the project the green light.

Analysts felt that with Airbus’ struggles in acquiring orders for the A380-800 model, there would be a harsher reality with a new model despite its advancements, given its lack of market presence.

From the A380’s initial launch through to the talk of the A380neo, much had changed across the industry, and airlines that had previously relied on the world’s largest passenger plane were seeing greater possibilities in operating a more streamlined fleet of twin-engine jets.

By 2014, and with discussions heating up primarily from Emirates, Airbus recognised the interest in a prospective re-engine and began the process of finding ways to conduct studies into the possible launch.

To make the A380neo possible, an engine was needed, with the CEO stating that a jet could be many years away, and also talks would need to be had with Rolls-Royce, among other possible parties, to power this new endeavour.

By the end of 2014, reporting emerged that the planemaker was appearing to be closing in on a re-engined A380neo, thanks to talks with Rolls-Royce and reporting led by Aviation Week.

However, by the time 2015 arrived, there were visible concerns. While Turkish Airlines had emerged as a possible option for the A380neo alongside Emirates, there were only murmurs across the industry of a potential launch.

Airbus saying that it couldn’t possibly move ahead with such a costly endeavour for only one airline to be interested, despite Emirates’ strong love of the plane, just one lone order would not return on the investment made to get the aircraft to market.

The planemaker felt that if it moved ahead with the A380neo, a launch would’ve been likely sometime between 2020 and 2025, based on timelines provided in 2015; however, how an upgrade was to come about felt unlikely.

Throughout 2015 and into early 2016, there was much continued commentary from Airbus surrounding the A380neo, with talk that the jet would only enter service in the mid-2020s and a strong focus was also placed on the requirement for a solid business case.

But, when the A380plus came around, the A380neo prospects felt all but dead, diminishing any hopes of the jet being launched and certainly forcing Turkish Airlines to look elsewhere alongside Emirates.

What’s Next?

With this in mind, Turkish Airlines decided against opting for even second-hand A380’s from airlines that retired the jet, and it also didn’t order the other high-capacity model in the Boeing 747-8.

Turkish Airlines instead has set its sights on the development of its international network in a more efficient manner with the commitment towards much more efficient aircraft that come with half the engines of a type such as the A380.

Many next-generation aircraft already fly with the Turkish carrier; however, there are also expected deliveries in the next decade that will further develop the fleet.

Turkish Airlines, already recognised as a global carrier, intends to take its presence one step further and become one of the largest airlines in the world.

To achieve this, while a high-capacity jet would be beneficial, the 777X and A350 models will meet this requirement and allow for greater simplification of the day-to-day operation.