Turkish Airlines (TK, Istanbul Airport) plans to nearly double its fleet to 800 aircraft by 2033, with that of its low-cost division AnadoluJet (Ankara Esenboga) to expand almost fourfold.
The strategic plan foresees "reinventing AnadoluJet's brand positioning, revenue composition and cost structure in a way that will increase its competitiveness, and owning a fleet of 200 aircraft, all of which will be new generation aircraft". The airline did not disclose any further details concerning the specific make-up of its projected fleet by manufacturer or aircraft type.
The ch-aviation fleets module shows that AnadoluJet's current in-house fleet comprises four A320-200Ns, nine A321-200NX, seven B737-8s, and thirty-eight B737-800s. The airline continues to wet-lease a single B737-800 from SunExpress (a joint venture of Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa) as the last trace of a long-term deal which was supposed to end in December 2022. AnadoluJet's fleet also includes six A320-200s and six A321-200s wet-leased under a seasonal agreement from SmartLynx Airlines/SmartLynx Airlines Malta.
The LCC division grew mostly opportunistically in 2022, picking up new-generation aircraft in small batches as they became available. Turkish Airlines Chief Executive Bilal Ekşi told ch-aviation last year that at least for now, AnadoluJet would operate a mixed Airbus and Boeing fleet.
The strategic plan does not explicitly mention AnadoluJet becoming a stand-alone carrier with its own Air Operator's Certificate, although it recently started pursuing this strategy in earnest.
The Turkish flag carrier plans to grow its entire fleet to 435 aircraft at the end of 2023. Currently, it operates 390 aircraft, including the AnadoluJet fleet. By 2033, the airline plans to operate 800 aircraft.
Turkish Airlines said the fleet growth would enable it to double the number of passengers carried annually from 85 million in 2023 to 170 million in 2033. The airline aims for an average annual EBITDA margin of 20-25% between now and 2033 and hopes to generate more than USD50 billion in consolidated revenue in 2033. In 2022, the group had USD18.4 billion in consolidated revenues and posted a 15.1% EBITDA margin.
