Turkish Airlines Adds 25 New Aircraft

Turkish Airlines has confirmed to the public its intention to take delivery of 25 new aircraft.

The 25 aircraft are to be leased on a long-term basis from leading aircraft lessor AerCap, with the jets to be of the narrowbody kind.

The carrier confirms that the deal has been signed as part of its Strategic Plan, which involves the significant expansion of its operations.

AerCap will provide the aircraft over two years. Deliveries are scheduled between 2027 and 2029, subject to the delicate nature of aircraft deliveries in the 2020s, with the backlog for these jets strong, but equally, the handover is unreplicable.

Turkish Airlines also says the lease term for these aircraft is 12 years, which is very typical for jets nowadays; most of these contracts include an option for the airline to extend the term, as 12 years for a new narrowbody jet is short for most companies.

A Drive For New Aircraft At Turkish Airlines

The newest acquisition for Turkish Airlines comes as no surprise, as the airline has placed great importance on growth over recent years and, with that, has expanded its fleet.

Under a 2033 plan, Turkish Airlines aims to operate a fleet of over 800 aircraft and a route network of over 400 destinations. This is a sizeable expansion that doubles many areas of the business.

The passenger capacity is another area the company wants to see grow, with the hope of seeing 170 million customers board its aircraft every year; this is also evident in the cargo division.

To make all of this happen, the airline has been forced to invest heavily in next-generation aircraft. It has placed orders in the hundreds with Airbus and Boeing, including a vast mix of single-aisle and widebody jets.

These new aircraft are being delivered progressively, but it’s expected that the number of new planes arriving each year will grow over time as the airline continues to expand.

The Turkish Airlines Fleet

Turkish Airlines’ fleet consists of 399 aircraft, of which 364 are listed as active, according to data from planespotters.net.

This fleet puts the business among the largest in the world by the number of planes at its disposal; however, in reality, this figure is nothing compared to what it’ll look like once expansion efforts are completed.

The Turkish Airlines fleet initially consisted of the smallest aircraft in the business, the A319, and it still relies on six A319-100s, averaging 14.6 years of age.

These are followed by a continued commitment to the A320 family, with 21 A320-200s to the airline’s name: 18 listed as active and three parked, a fleet that is 15.1 years old.

Next, one of the airlines’ most essential aircraft types, measured by available units, is the A321 series, with 67 A321-200s, followed by 62 A321neo aircraft delivered.

Unfortunately, the business has not been able to fully enjoy the next-generation A321neo, as it has battled Pratt & Whitney GTF reliability issues on this fleet type, resulting in aircraft being grounded at various points in recent years.

Next, Turkish Airlines flies the Airbus A330, with the -200 and -300 models in service, totalling 22 and 37 aircraft, respectively, with an average age of 13.2 years. It’s the airline’s commitment to the A330-200, which is its oldest fleet type by average age.

As part of a commitment to the next-generation of aircraft and additionally the final Airbus aircraft in its operation, the Airbus A350 played a role in medium to long-haul connectivity with 31 aircraft in the arlines operation.

Back to single-aisle jets, and with Boeing, the airline flies many 737 variants: 80 aircraft in total are spread across the 737-800, 737-900ER, 737 MAX 8, and 737 MAX 9, the latter two models representing the future.

Next, 47 Boeing 777 jets help the airline add crucial seat capacity to markets around the world; however, that’s not just evident in the 777-300ER, where 36 units are in service, but also in the business’s cargo division, with 11 of the 777Fs in operation.

Lastly, Turkish Airlines flies the 787-9 Dreamliner, an aircraft that will become increasingly important over time through new orders, helping raise operational efficiency and complement types such as the A350.