Turkish Airlines completes deal to buy 225 Boeing planes after Erdogan-Trump talks

Turkish Airlines said connected Friday it would bid 75 Boeing 787 craft and had completed negotiations to bargain 150 737 MAX planes, subject to motor talks, unveiling a long-awaited woody aft a gathering betwixt the two countries’ leaders.

President Tayyip Erdogan connected Thursday met US President Donald Trump, who said helium believed Turkey would hold to his petition to stop buying Russian lipid and that helium whitethorn assistance US sanctions connected Ankara so it tin bargain American F-35 jets.

Trump said up of the talks that the Boeing bid would besides beryllium under discussion.

Looking to boost its planetary reach

Turkish Airlines is looking to boost its planetary scope and precocious bought a number stake successful Spain’s Air Europa, outlasting its European rivals Lufthansa and Air France-KLM.

In a statement to the Istanbul stock exchange, the bearer said it decided to acquisition 75 wide-body B787-9 and B787-10 models from US-based Boeing, consisting of 50 steadfast and 25 enactment orders.

Deliveries are scheduled betwixt 2029 and 2034.

Negotiations were ongoing with Rolls-Royce and GE Aerospace regarding engines, spare engines and motor attraction services for the planes, it said.

Turkish Airlines besides said it completed negotiations with Boeing connected the acquisition of different 150 aircraft, consisting of 100 steadfast and 50 enactment orders for narrow-body 737-8/10 MAX models.

It said orders for the 737-8/10 MAX craft would beryllium placed subject to the successful decision of discussions with motor shaper CFM International.

Turkish Airlines shares were up 0.15% astatine 328.75 lira successful Istanbul successful aboriginal Friday trade.

Expansion plans

The woody has been a agelong clip successful the making, with the company’s president having revealed details connected the planned acquisition of 225 craft successful June 2024.

“With these orders, our full fleet aims to dwell of new-generation craft by 2035, thereby strengthening operational ratio and supporting an mean yearly maturation complaint of astir 6%,” the institution said successful Friday’s statement.

According to its 2023-2033 strategic plan, Turkish Airlines aims to grow its fleet to implicit 800 craft by 2033. It had 485 craft by the extremity of June, according to its latest presentation.

In enactment with its strategic plan, the bearer said successful May 2023 that it had started talks with the manufacturers successful bid to procure astir 600 aircraft. It placed an bid for 355 Airbus planes successful December 2023. [AP]