Turkish low-cost carrier Pegasus Airlines has placed a firm order for 100 Boeing 737 Max 10s, with options for up to a further 100 of the type.
Guliz Ozturk, chief executive of Pegasus, said on 19 December that the Istanbul-based carrier will consider converting the remaining 100 options ”in the coming years, based on market conditions and the needs of our fleet”.
The companies do not specify when deliveries will begin, as Boeing has yet to secure certification of the Max 10 from the Federal Aviation Administration. Pegasus has previously indicated that it would invite Airbus and Boeing compete for its next order, with deliveries beginning beyond 2029.
Still, the deal is a win for Boeing’s Max 10 platform and the airframer’s broader 737 programme. Production of Boeing’s signature narrowbody jets recently was rebooted following a months-long halt and the company is seeking to gain momentum after a disastrous 2024.
“We appreciate their trust in the Boeing team and we look forward to delivering on the [737 Max 10] and its promise of greater efficiency, versatility and reliability,” says Stephanie Pope, CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
Tha largest variant of Boeing’s latest-generation narrowbody family, the Max 10 can carry up to 230 passengers, with a range of 3,100n, (5,740km).
”The airplane’s efficiency and flexibility will enable Pegasus Airlines to serve more passengers on more routes with the lowest cost per seat of any single-aisle airplane,” Boeing says.
Thanks to Pegasus’ order, Boeing’s backlog for 737 Max 10s grows to 1,200 jets.
Pegasus launched operations about 35 years ago with a fleet of 737NGs. The incoming Max 10s will provide “operational commonality and flexibility to meet growing travel demand” in the region, the carrier says.
The carrier’s currently fleet is composed mostly of Airbus single-aisle types, with some 737-800s still in service. It also has a large order of A321neos on the books.
Boeing restarted 737 production in Renton, Washington on 10 December after halting assembly activities for three months due to a gruelling machinists’ strike.
The airframer forecasts that European and Central Asian operators will take nearly 8,000 narrowbody jets over the next 20 years.
