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Turkish Airlines in talks with Airbus for 355 jets

By Pramod Kumar
Turkish Airlines
Turkish Airlines is using the $12 billion Istanbul Airport as its hub to build a mega network connecting Europe to Asia and Africa

Turkish Airlines (THY) has held talks with European airline manufacturer Airbus on a potential order of 355 new aircraft, state-run Anadolu news agency said.

During the meeting in Istanbul, executives from Turkish Airlines discussed buying 75 wide-body A350-900, 15 wide-body A350-1000 aircraft, 250 narrow-body A321neo aircraft and five A350F cargo aircraft, in addition to 10 A350-900s aircraft.

Negotiations were held with engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce to provide engine maintenance service and spare engines for A350 aircraft.

Turkish Airlines chairman Ahmet Bolat in May said the airline will order a total of 600 new aircraft in June to be delivered within ten years.

He added that the order would consist of 400 narrow-body aircraft and 200 wide-bodies, and the fleet would increase to 810 aircraft by 2033.

The airline has announced a 10-year strategic plan and growth targets that include handling 170 million passengers by 2033, compared to over 85 million in 2023.

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