Turkish Airlines is close to placing its highly telegraphed order for Boeing aircraft but is not expecting to announce anything at this year’s Farnborough air show as negotiations over engine costs continue.
“Yes, the engines are the issue,” said Turkish Airlines chair Ahmet Bolat during a media roundtable at the show.
“We had a discussion this morning with the [CFM and GE] executive team and I think we are close,” he adds.
Having finalised an order covering 150 A321neos and 70 A350s from Airbus at the end of 2023, Turkish was due to follow it with a commitment for 150 737 Max jets and 75 787s from Boeing, but negotiations over the cost of the former’s CFM International Leap-1B powerplants have continued for months.
“The important thing is to fly the aircraft effectively and efficiently, and we are not going to announce anything in Farnborough… I can say that,” Bolat states.
Turkish and its low-cost unit AJet operate a mixed fleet of Airbus and Boeing types, covering more than 450 aircraft.
