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20th May 2019
Turkish Airlines will not announce the huge 600 aircraft deal at the Paris Air Show. Speaking at a media briefing at the International Air Transport Association, AGM in Istanbul, Turkish Airlines, Chief Executive, Ahmet Bolat confirmed that the airlines will need a couple more months to reach a decision and cited the recent Turkish elections as one of the reasons for the delay.
“We need around 600 aircraft. We are in talks with both Airbus and Boeing, the main providers to the aviation industry. We are talking about is the MAX and neo - 400 aircraft for the narrowbodies. We are talking about 200 widebodies - the 787 and A350. We are looking for around 25-30 777X or A350 XWB aircraft. We are also talking to industry providers to provide for this fleet,” Bolat confirmed.
“The election of the new government took longer than expected. We were very close to making a deal with one of the engine manufacturers. To be fair to the other manufacturer, we are going to delay a decision for around two months. We are not going to rush our decision at Le Bourget, so we will have a separate announcement in Istanbul in about two months,” Bolat added.
In April, Turkish Airlines announced a bold strategy update for the next ten years, with a fleet of 813 aircraft, about double the size of the 435 aircraft that the airline expects to have by the end of 2023.
Another reason for delay is the industrial participation from Turkish aerospace companies, which needs to be finalized.