Turkish Airlines is adding ten more Airbus A350-900s to its growing fleet, according to a stock exchange filing on September 1. These new planes will join the airline between 2025 and 2027. This move is part of Turkish Airlines’ ambitious growth strategy, which aims to double its size by 2033.
A Steady Increase in Airbus A350s
The airline already has 26 A350-900s on order, and 14 of these have been delivered so far. The most recent one joined the fleet in July. Six more are in the pipeline for the next few months. Interestingly, these six were initially ordered by Aeroflot but became ‘undeliverable’ due to sanctions on Russia following the Ukraine war.
A Look at Future Plans
Turkish Airlines has big plans for the future. They aim to carry 171 million passengers by 2033 with a fleet of 818 aircraft. In this massive fleet, they expect to have 170-175 medium-sized widebodies like the A350 and Boeing 787-9. So, it’s likely that the airline will place more orders soon.
Besides these, Turkish Airlines is also considering adding 20-25 large widebodies, which could be a mix of A350-1000s and Boeing 777-9s. The most significant part of their future order will likely include around 400 narrowbodies from both the Airbus A320neo family and Boeing MAX.
Delays and Engine Deals
Originally, the airline planned to announce this mega-order in June during the IATA AGM Istanbul. However, CEO Ahmet Bolat stated that they needed more time to finalize deals with engine manufacturers. This pushed the announcement to August, and even then, negotiations with engine makers were still ongoing.
For the latest A350 order, the engine choice was simple. The Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-84 is the only engine available for this aircraft, making the decision straightforward.
Turkish Airlines is on a growth spree, and the latest order of ten more Airbus A350-900s is just a part of it. With plans to double its size and carry millions more passengers by 2033, the airline is likely to make more significant announcements soon.
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