Turkish Airlines Eyes 737 MAX & 787 Order

Turkish Airlines is inching closer to a landmark purchase of narrow-body and wide-body aircraft, according to the airline. Boeing is the front-runner in securing the contract.

As part of the prospective contract, Turkish Airlines is considering the 737 MAX and 787 aircraft to bolster its fleet and enable it to achieve its long-term growth ambitions.

This order, which is in the final stages with only engine negotiations required, is also considered the second part of a mammoth order that first involved Airbus.

The Turkish Airlines Airbus order consisted of 220 aircraft, including several aircraft types. The carrier purchased 150 A321neo jets, with 70 units for the A350 family spread across all available options, including the newly announced A350 Freighter.

However, even despite this considerable order, the airline believed there was room for another large commitment, which was always seemingly destined to head the way for Boeing.

While talks are described as being in the final stages, the airline needs to understand the price of engines and attempt to source the best price. As a result, delays in the final decision are occurring, a key reason why Airbus cannot be fully ruled out yet.

The Major Turkish Airlines Expansion

Turkish Airlines’ growth plans are considerable. The airline unveiled expansion plans last year, which means it’d like to have 800 plus aircraft in its fleet by 2033.

Furthermore, the airline wants to see its revenues increase by almost 50 billion annually in the same period. Additionally, Turkish Airlines would ideally like to contribute 140 billion to the Turkish economy by helping to grow it.

With such a large fleet, Turkish Airlines also said it wants to grow its network to over 400 destinations, hoping to carry 170 million passengers annually in the next ten years.

All these growth plans represent jumps from their current stance, and to achieve this, the company needs to be able to have the aircraft. As a result, the Boeing part of the future aircraft order is seen as important.