Paris Airshow: Turkish Airlines ‘closing gap’ on Boeing order

Turkish also plans to sign lease deals for 14 narrowbody aircraft at the show. “We had a final gap between us and Boeing. I was hoping that we could close that here in Le Bourget but they had to fly to India for the event that happened,” Turkish Airlines Chairman Ahmet Bolat told journalists at a June 16 roundtable at the Paris Air Show. “I think we are very close.”

The gap is related to negotiations on price, including engine costs, and specifically achieving a deal that will allow it to maintain sustainable growth, he says. Bolat also says the airline would on June 17 sign a new deal with two lessors for 14 narrowbody aircraft to help it continue to grow even amid delivery delays of new aircraft.

“Day by day, both manufacturers are informing us the aircraft are further delayed,” Bolat says. “Meanwhile, we are working with the lessors. Tomorrow, we are going to sign 14 new aircraft to be leased to Turkish from two lessors.”

Those leases will be signed with Carlyle and Avolon and involve both Boeing MAX and Airbus Neo narrowbodies to be delivered in 2028.

“We don’t really distinguish in the narrowbodies,” Bolat says. “With the operating leases, we continue to grow and maintain the 8% growth rate, even with the current shortage of aircraft,” Bolat says. The airline is also close to finalising deals with other lessors, he adds.

Looking at broad hopes for growth, Bolat says Turkish wants to encourage more visitors to the country’s cultural and historical sites. “Most people are coming for sand and sea, but we’re trying to attract more tourists for cultural things.”

In particular, he says Turkish could encourage more French tourists to visit the country, with around 6 million German visitors, 4.4 million from the UK, but only 1 million French despite a strong interest in cultural and historical sites for French tourists. “We have a lot of homework to do to let the French people know Turkey is not just sand and sea.”

Asked about its partnership with IndiGo in India, including the wet lease of 777s, which is due to come to an end but has been granted a brief reprieve by the Indian government, Bolat says: “IndiGo at the moment is continuing. India is an important market for us, but we of course abide by all the rules and regulations.”

Bolat notes that out of 253 total destinations, Turkish flies to only two cities in India.