-ISTANBUL
Turkish Airlines today announced on the PDP that, in order to insure the need for wide body aircraft, the Incorporation has decided to purchase 50 firm and 10 optional aircraft, a total of 60 wide body aircraft, of which 6 to be delivered in 2019, 14 in 2020, 10 in 2021, 12 in 2012, 11 in 2023 and 7 in the year 2024. According to this, a total of 30 B787-9 aircraft, of which 25 firm and 5 optional, will be purchased from Boeing and a total of 30 A350-900 aircraft, of which 25 firm and 5 optional will be purchased from Airbus.
Related MoU with Airbus was signed last January at the Élysée Palace, Paris, during Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s official visit to France with French President Emmanuel Macron in attendance. Also last September, during President Erdoğan’s visit to New York to join the United Nations General Assembly, Boeing and Turkish Airlines had announced a commitment to order 787-9 Dreamliners.
Commenting on the closed orders M. İlker Aycı, Chairman of the Board and the Executive Committee, Turkish Airlines said the following; “Today, we’re pleased to conclude this process which will bring a landmark benefit not only to Turkish Airlines, but also to Turkey’s aviation, by firmly ordering these aircrafts to be added to our ever-expanding fleet. Goodwill agreements turned into firm orders; which we consider to be a very important initiative to meet our need for wide body aircraft at Istanbul’s New Airport, which will serve as our new hub once its construction process completed. This great step, which will further strengthen our ever-expanding fleet for 2023, our Republic’s 100th year, and bring our passenger’s satisfaction to a much higher level will bring a great acceleration to the steady rise of our country’s flag carrier, Turkish Airlines, and will also be a considerable added value for Turkish Civil Aviation.”
