Turkish Airlines (THY) Chairman of the Board Ahmet Bolat discussed the company’s future fleet plans during a roundtable meeting in Stockholm, sharing updates on ongoing negotiations with Boeing and engine manufacturer CFM International.
Bolat told Reuters that the airline remains interested in Boeing’s 777X program but is not rushing to place an order. “We are closely monitoring developments related to this aircraft. We are waiting for the right time to order; there is no hurry,” he said.Addressing the status of Boeing 737 MAX negotiations, Bolat explained that discussions with CFM over conditional orders are still in progress. “At the beginning, there was a significant gap between us and CFM in terms of costs,” he noted, adding that “there is still ground to cover” before reaching an agreement. Bolat emphasized that if an understanding cannot be reached, Turkish Airlines could turn to Airbus as an alternative supplier.
According to a disclosure to the Istanbul Stock Exchange, Turkish Airlines has agreed to purchase 225 aircraft from Boeing—150 firm and 75 optional. Of these, 100 will be 737-8 and 737-10 MAX models, pending a successful outcome of talks with CFM International. The remaining 50 aircraft will consist of wide-body Boeing 787-9 and 787-10 models, scheduled for delivery between 2029 and 2034.
Turkish Airlines’ fleet currently consists of 485 aircraft—279 from Airbus and 206 from Boeing—according to the company’s first-half 2025 operational report cited by BBC. The carrier plans to expand its fleet to 813 aircraft by 2033 and had previously placed an order for 355 Airbus jets in December 2023.Bolat had also stated during a press event in Dubai in June 2024 that negotiations with Boeing were “at an advanced stage” for a potential order of 250 aircraft.
