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Turkish Airlines Chairman Ahmet Bolat said Thursday that negotiations with Boeing for the purchase of 150 737 MAX aircraft are ongoing, noting that while the deal has not yet been finalized, “we are getting close.”
In an interview with CNBC-e’s Safak Tukle, Bolat said discussions over the narrow-body aircraft agreement were still underway.
He added that if an agreement with engine manufacturer CFM could not be reached, Turkish Airlines may reconsider a return to Airbus.
“Our 787 orders have been finalized—50 of them are firm, and the contracts are signed. Since those aircraft use different engine types, there was no reason to delay,” Bolat said.
“We also have an option for 25 additional aircraft. For the narrow-body fleet, we’re talking about Boeing MAX models—a total of 150 plus 75 options, so 225 aircraft. These planes use a single engine type from one manufacturer.”
Bolat previously said Turkish Airlines would sign the major Boeing deal only if Boeing and its engine supplier CFM offered “favorable economic conditions”; otherwise, the airline could turn to Airbus.
Turkish Airlines could switch its recently announced order for Boeing 737 MAX jets to rival Airbus if negotiations with U.S.–French engine maker CFM International fail to yield favorable terms, Bolat said in early October.
“If CFM comes to feasible economic terms, then we are going to sign with Boeing,” Bolat told Reuters in Stockholm. “If CFM continues its stance, we’ll change to Airbus. With Airbus, I have choices,” he added, referring to the European planemaker’s two engine suppliers.
Bolat also said talks with CFM had made some progress, but cost disagreements remained unresolved.
Highlighting that discussions had recently accelerated, Bolat said, “If the numbers reach the levels we want, we plan to sign this agreement soon.”
He also noted that “there are very few countries in the world capable of producing aircraft engines,” adding that in the narrow-body category, “the three major engine manufacturers are CFM, Pratt & Whitney, and Rolls-Royce—the latter mainly for wide-body aircraft.”
Turkish Airlines has been strengthening partnerships with both U.S. and European manufacturers as part of its long-term fleet modernization plan.
The carrier aims to transition its entire fleet to new-generation aircraft by 2035, boosting fuel efficiency while maintaining an annual growth rate of around 6%.
Last year, Turkish Airlines signed a deal with Boeing for four 777 freighters to expand its global cargo operations, while low-cost carrier Pegasus also ordered 200 Boeing aircraft.
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