Turkish Airlines remains in talks to finalise the Boeing portion of a major planned order aimed at supporting its long-term growth plan.
The Star Alliance carrier last year disclosed it was working on an order for 400 narrowbodies and 200 widebodies as it looks to double its fleet to more than 800 aircraft over the next decade. It had initially hoped to finalise orders by mid-2023.
While completion of both orders were delayed, Turkish Airlines in December announced commitments for 345 Airbus jets That covers firm orders for 70 A350s – including five freighters – and options on 25 more, as well as orders for 150 A321neos and options on a further 100 of the single-aisle jet.
”Our talks with Boeing still continue,” Turkish Airlines chief financial officer Murat Seker said during the company’s 2023 earnings call on 4 April. “Just a few days ago our chief investment officer had a meeting with Boeing executives. Our negotiations are continuing.”
Seker played down suggestions that Boeing’s recently announced management changes or its production issues are delaying a deal, reiterating previous comments that the order is complicated by also finalising an engines order.
”With the Max in particular, the decisions could be a little later, but with the widebodies we don’t see any technical problem,” he says. ”It is just that negotiations on the aircraft plus the engine, which we are trying to manage simultaneously, are continuing.”
In the interim, Turkish Airlines last year struck leases covering 25 Boeing Max jets and three 787s, and ordered 10 more A350-900s to help cover its fleet requirements over the next three years.
Turkish Airlines ended 2023 with a fleet of 440 aircraft. It expects this year to receive 52 new aircraft and to withdraw eight aircraft, ending 2024 with 484 aircraft.
