Turkish Airlines' long-awaited aircraft order from Boeing - initially planned for mid-2023 - could take another six months to finalise due to unresolved contract terms and delivery schedules, according to CEO Bilal Eksi.
He said the deal was contingent on production slot availability at Boeing and engine maintenance costs with General Electric. While the airline remains hopeful, Eksi suggested it was open to choosing Airbus instead if necessary, Bloomberg reported.
"Frankly, we haven’t finalised yet. This means that we cannot find the reasonable level yet," he told Bloomberg at the launch event of a newly expanded Turkish Airlines Holidays in London on February 25.
Turkish Airlines has been in talks with Boeing since at least mid-2023 when the airline first floated a potential 600-aircraft mega-order to be split between the two manufacturers. Airbus secured a commitment for 230 firm orders that year, while discussions with Boeing have continued despite the US manufacturer facing production challenges. Turkish Airlines aims to purchase around 300 jets from Boeing, including B737-8s and B787s, Eksi said.
Türkiye's flag carrier plans to double its fleet to 800 aircraft by 2033 as part of its "100th Anniversary Strategy", though delivery delays from both Boeing and Airbus may hinder this goal, prompting the airline to lease more aircraft in the meantime, Eksi added. It currently operates 438 aircraft, split between Airbus (254) and Boeing (184) types, ch-aviation fleets data reveals. This excludes 16 aircraft operated by subsidiary AJet, which Turkish Airlines consolidates in its fleet expansion plans.
As previously reported, Turkish Airlines has signed dry-leases for ten B737-8s to be delivered in 2025 from DAE Capital. The airline already operates 27 of the type and five B737-9s, according to the ch-aviation fleets module. It also already operates twenty-three B787-9s.
In December 2023, the airline finalised an order with Airbus for 220 aircraft with another 125 on option. This included fifty A350-900s firm orders with purchase rights for another 20; fifteen firm-ordered A350-1000s; five firm-orders for A350F freighters plus five purchase rights; and 150 A321neo as firm orders plus options for another 100. Together with ten A350-900s already announced in September 2023, the total order with options numbers 355 aircraft, including 230 firm orders.
