Turkish Airlines has secured a deal with AerCap for the lease of three new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners and 25 new 737 MAX 8 aircraft.
The agreement was announced on October 24, 2023, and included the lease extension of six used Airbus A330-200 aircraft.
The Irish-based lessor confirmed in a statement that the aircraft are scheduled to be delivered from 2024 through to 2026.
“AerCap is very pleased to announce this significant transaction with our long-term partner, Turkish Airlines,” Aengus Kelly, the Chief Executive Officer of AerCap, said. “These aircraft will help Turkish Airlines continue to grow their already extensive route network, while improving the operational efficiency of their fleet. I would like to thank Dr. Ahmet Bolat and Mr. Levent Konukcu and the Turkish Airlines management team for the confidence they have placed in AerCap. We look forward to continuing to build on our strong partnership as these aircraft deliver.”
In September 2023, Turkish Airlines agreed to purchase 10 additional A350-900 aircraft from Airbus, taking its total for the type to 40. This followed on from an order in August 2023, for four A350-900 aircraft.
It is also still widely thought that Turkish Airlines will at some point place orders for as many as 600 aircraft.
The order is also expected to be split between Airbus and Boeing in line with the airline’s current two-supplier fleet strategy and will likely include Airbus A320-family and B737 MAX aircraft as well as Boeing 787s and 777s and Airbus A350s.
“We have a unique route network boasting the world’s widest network in terms of the number of countries reached. We fly to more international destinations than any other airline, and in order to strengthen this position, we are always focused on extending our fleet. At this point, we would like to thank our business partner, AerCap, and we are happy to reinforce our fruitful collaboration with them through these leasing projects,” said Levent Konukcu, Turkish Airlines Chief Investment & Technology Officer.
