Summary
- Turkish Airlines has secured lease deals for 21 more aircraft, mostly narrowbodies, to ramp up capability within the near term.
- The carrier goals to operate 23 US-bound flights a day in 2024 and is targeting significant fleet and passenger capability growth.
- Turkish Airlines plans to double its fleet to over 800 aircraft in a decade and is considering an order for as much as 600 aircraft, subject to provide chain issues.
As Turkish Airlines looks towards a way forward for considerable growth, it has bolstered its capability within the shorter term by penning lease deals to bring 21 more aircraft onboard. While that is only a drop within the water in comparison with its planned expansion in the approaching years, the deals will play a key role in ramping up its capability within the near term.
Pen to paper
In line with FlightGlobal, the 21 aircraft for which Turkish Airlines has recently secured lease deals are predominantly narrowbodies, with only one being a twin-aisle jet. The carrier has yet to reveal the precise models involved, even though it is value noting that the same deal that it signed last month favored Boeing products.
Narrowbody deliveries are set to start late next yr, with 10 coming onboard from DAE Capital between Q4 of 2024 and Q1 of 2025. Q1 of 2025 may even see 4 single-aisle jets join Turkish Airlines from Jackson Square Aviation, followed by six from CDB Aviation Lease Finance across a one-year period ending Q1 of 2026.
Photo: Michael Lindner | Airbus
Meanwhile, the only real widebody aircraft, the make and model of which also stays undisclosed, will join the Istanbul-based Star Alliance carrier somewhat sooner. Indeed, because it stands, its delivery is reportedly penciled in for the second quarter of 2024. Easy Flying has reached out to Turkish Airlines for further information.
Targeting significant fleet and capability growth
Turkish Airlines’ present expansionist fleet strategy goes hand in hand with its future goals when it comes to passenger capability. Within the shorter term, it hopes to operate 23 US-bound flights a day in 2024, which the brand new widebody aircraft will certainly play a useful role in. Meanwhile, Istanbul Airport is aiming to handle 100 million passengers a yr by 2027, and Turkish Airlines will certainly account for a lot of these.
With this in mind, the carrier is pursuing major fleet growth in the approaching years, with FlightGlobal noting that 40 aircraft are set to return onboard in 2024, and 40 to 50 latest arrivals planned in 2025. Nevertheless, in the long term, it foresees even greater growth with the ambition to double its fleet to over 800 aircraft in a decade.
Photo: EvrenKalinbacak | Shutterstock
Considering the proven fact that certain aircraft might be withdrawn by then, Turkish Airlines is claimed to be eyeing up an order for as many as 600 aircraft. This may be split between 400 narrowbodies and 200 widebodies, but supply chain issues have prevented the deal’s completion. It’s going to be interesting to see whether the carrier publicizes anything at next week’s Dubai Airshow.
The present fleet
Because it stands, data from ch-aviation shows that Turkish Airlines already has one in every of the world’s largest fleets, with 437 aircraft present. On the passenger front, it features aircraft from the Airbus A320 (159 units), A330 (49 units), and A350 (14 units), in addition to the Boeing 737 (136 units), 777 (35 units), and 787 (21 units) series. Its remaining aircraft are A310, A330, 747, and 777 freighters.
What do you make of Turkish Airlines’ latest lease deals? Do you’re thinking that its growth plans are realistic? Tell us your thoughts within the comments!