Turkish Airlines Places Its Largest Boeing Narrowbody Order as It Trades Scale for Margins

Photo Credit: A Turkish Airlines Boeing 777 at San Francisco. Vincenzo Pace Turkish Airlines has finalized a deal with Boeing for up to 150 737 MAX aircraft, the flag carrier’s largest-ever Boeing narrowbody order as its new leadership takes a more measured approach to its next phase. The agreement covers 100 firm 737-8 aircraft and options for 50 more. Turkish also has substitution rights for the larger 737-10, giving it room to adjust aircraft size as demand and airport capacity evolve. The airline didn’t mention the delivery timeline. It is the first major fleet decision under Chairman Murat Seker and CEO Ahmet Olmustur, who took over after Ahmet Bolat’s departure earlier this year. The order is also an early test of how the new management balances Turkish’s appetite for expansion with its greater emphasis on profitability, network quality and efficiency. New Leadership, New Calculus Seker, a former chief financial officer, has spent his first months as chairman talking about a shift away from pursuing