As part of its plan to stimulate Türkiye’s aeronautical industry and address global chain supply bottlenecks, Turkish Airlines (TK, Istanbul Airport) is looking to grow its aircraft component manufacturing business by sell parts it makes to other carriers, as well as partner with Boeing to domestically produce some seats and engine components, Bloomberg reported.
Turkish Airlines Chairman Ahmet Bolat said that a deal with Boeing would benefit everybody given the American OEM could make use of “Türkiye’s potential capacity so that we can provide a reliable source of supply,” as the entire industry faces delays and is forced to extend the life of older models.
The carrier is currently negotiating with Boeing for a major aircraft order, which has been rumoured for months, notably since the company announced a deal for 220 Airbus aircraft, with 115 options in December 2023.
"Our talks with Boeing still continue. These orders not only reflect our commitment to modernising our fleet but also strategically secure our growth prospects," Chief Financial Officer Murat Şeker said during the annual investor call earlier this year.
Turkish Airlines currently has outstanding orders for 292 aircraft, namely 194 A321-200NX, fifteen A350-1000s, seventy-one A350-900s, five A350Fs, and seven B787-9s.
While the negotiations with Boeing are advanced, an agreement has not been reached with engine manufacturer CFM International, with the price being a point of dispute, Swiss aviation news outlet AeroTELEGRAPH reported.
Additionally, the B777X is not currently an option for Turkish Airlines, as the carrier has recently ordered the A350. However, it remains open to add this widebody type in the future.
