Turkish Airlines (TK, Istanbul Airport) will not be operating any A380-800s this year the airline's board has decided. In February, the carrier was reportedly considering opening up dialogue with Malaysia Airlines (MH, Kuala Lumpur International) over the possible lease of two A380s to be used for the upcoming summer season.
"There is no Board decision regarding the purchase or lease of an A380 aircraft. Turkish Airlines will not be operating an A380 aircraft in 2015," a filing with the Borsa İstanbul said.
Meanwhile, the airline has confirmed in another filing that it is the undisclosed carrier that acquired one of SAS Scandinavian Airlines' twenty-one London Heathrow slot pairings. SAS valued the slot at USD60 million.
Effective October 25 of this year, Turkish plans to use the afternoon slot pair to increase its weekly frequency from Istanbul Atatürk to London Heathrow from 31 to 38. It currently uses a mix of A321-200s, A330-300s and B777-300(ER)s on the route.
