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Türkiye’s flag carrier Turkish Airlines said Thursday it has reached an agreement with GE Aerospace to procure engines, spare engines and engine parts for its planned fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliners, finalizing a key component of a major aircraft order announced earlier this year.
“In line with the growth objectives set out in our Strategic Plan, which aims to generate significant value for all stakeholders, our Board of Directors had decided to purchase a total of 75 aircraft from Boeing, consisting of 50 firm and 25 option orders for B787-9 and B787-10 models with deliveries scheduled between 2029 and 2034,” Turkish Airlines said in a statement to Türkiye’s Public Disclosure Platform (KAP).
The carrier said a tender process for the procurement of engines, spare engines and engine maintenance services for the 787 fleet had been completed, resulting in an agreement with GE Aerospace.
In September, Turkish Airlines announced plans to acquire 225 Boeing aircraft, including 75 Dreamliners (B787-9 and B787-10) and 150 737 MAX jets (737-8 and 737-10).
The airline said it had been holding talks with Rolls-Royce and GE Aerospace for the engine packages tied to the Dreamliner order.
Separately, Turkish Airlines Chairman Ahmet Bolat said on Wednesday that the carrier will meet with Boeing and engine supplier CFM in the coming weeks to finalize a planned agreement for its major 737 MAX order, according to a Reuters report.
“Those talks are ongoing. We’ll probably have Boeing and the engine manufacturer sitting down together in a few weeks. We’ll ask, ‘Are you in or out?’ If not, we’ll turn another page,” Bolat said.
CFM International, a joint venture of GE Aerospace and Safran, is the exclusive engine supplier for the 737 MAX family. The company competes with Pratt & Whitney, a unit of RTX, for engine contracts on the Airbus A320neo series. A global shortage of engines and maintenance capacity has strained airline-supplier relations and pushed up engine parts costs across the industry.
Turkish Airlines has been strengthening ties with both U.S. and European aerospace manufacturers as part of a long-term fleet modernization strategy. The carrier aims to transition its entire fleet to new-generation aircraft by 2035 while maintaining an annual growth rate of about 6%.
Earlier this year, Turkish Airlines agreed to invest €300 million ($345.25 million)in convertible debt, equivalent to a 25%–27% stake, in Air Europa, outlasting rival bids by Lufthansa and Air France-KLM.
Last year, the flag carrier signed a deal with Boeing for four 777 freighters to expand its global cargo operations. Türkiye’s low-cost carrier Pegasus also ordered 200 Boeing aircraft as part of the country’s wider aviation expansion.
With the new GE Aerospace engine agreement, Turkish Airlines is moving closer to finalizing the full package for its next-generation long-haul fleet.
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