Turkish Airlines will expand its fleet with 220 Airbus aircraft, the engines and wings of which are made in the UK.
Turkish Airlines will receive 150 of Airbus’ best-selling A321s and 70 of the world’s most modern and efficient A350 widebody aircraft (50 A350-900s, 15 A350-1000s and 5 A350F freighters).
This follows two orders from the airline in September for 10 A350-900s and in July for four A350-900s. This latest order will take Turkish Airlines’ total orderbook for Airbus aircraft to 504, of which 212 are already delivered.
The deal is good news for the UK manufacturing industry as all of the wings for the Airbus aircraft will be designed in Filton, Bristol, and assembled in Broughton, North Wales, supporting hundreds of manufacturing jobs in the UK aerospace supply chain. Moreover, the 70 A350 widebody aircraft are powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines, which are assembled and tested in Derby.
As the world’s most efficient large aero engine in service, the Trent XWB will also help fast track Turkish Airlines’ sustainability journey. With a 15 per cent fuel consumption advantage over the first generation of Trent engine, the Trent XWB goes further on less fuel, and offers leading performance and noise levels. It is also certified to operate on a 50% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) blend today and has been proven to be compatible with 100% SAF for the future.
Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer and Head of International, said: “This order for the latest generation aircraft is a demonstration of the bold vision by Turkish Airlines. The A350-900, A350-1000, A350F and A321 will all be flagship aircraft in their respective category and efficiency drivers to shape the airline’s future and sustainable expansion, with more range, less fuel, noise and emissions and best cabin in class.
“The opening into the A350-1000 and the A350F highlights the cross-model value of the A350 family and reinforces our long-lasting partnership with Turkish Airlines and Türkiye’s aviation sector. We are proud to accompany Türkiye’s connection to the world with our state-of-the-art aircraft.”
Tufan Erginbilgic, CEO, Rolls-Royce plc, said: “Today’s announcement marks an exciting and truly historic day for Rolls-Royce. It is proof that the actions we are taking to transform Rolls-Royce into a high performing and competitive company underpinned by profitable growth are working.
“The Trent XWB is the perfect engine platform to support Turkish Airlines as it continues to grow. This order will make Turkish Airlines the largest Trent XWB operator in the world, and I would like to thank them for putting their trust in Rolls-Royce.
“Türkiye is a strategically important market for us, and it is imperative to develop long-term partnerships with the airline and other important Turkish stakeholders.
“We look forward to working with Turkish Airlines as they continue to connect their passengers across global communities and cultures.”
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