One of the world’s biggest carriers, by number of international destinations served, 
Turkish Airlines is set to meet with American plane manufacturer Boeing and engine supplier CFM (a joint venture between GE Aerospace and Safran Aircraft Engines). This comes following an order made by the Turkish carrier back in September, when the 
Star Alliance airline signalled an order for 150 of the ever-popular Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.
Turkish Airlines plans to meet with 
Boeing and CFM to decide on whether it will proceed with the deal scheduled for the 150 aircraft order, subject to engine talks. If the meeting doesn’t go to plan, it is expected that the airline may switch to the opposition, with a similar order destined for European plane manufacturer, Airbus, instead. CFM is the sole engine supplier for the Boeing 737 MAX, whereas Pratt & Whitney gains the majority of airline contracts for the Airbus A320.
Are You In, Or Not?
As outlined by Turkish Airlines Chairman Ahmet Bolat, the long-awaited deal will see a sit-down meeting to discuss the proposed order for 150 aircraft, and could result in an additional engine maintenance centre being established in Turkey. TK has concerns surrounding the ongoing supply chain challenges, engine shortages, and a growing number of maintenance delays, which have caused a ripple effect across international carriers.
Airlines have already been incredibly vocal about the disruption with engine shortages, and this noise has included Turkish Airlines. Pratt & Whitney, one of CFM’s competitors, isn’t immune to this either; it has seen issues surrounding engines on existing Airbus aircraft at TK. In an interview as reported by Reuters, Bolat reiterated his expectations around engine availability for the meeting:
“Those talks are ongoing. We’ll probably have Boeing and the engine manufacturer sitting down together in a few weeks. We’ll ask, ‘Are you in or out?’ If not, we’ll turn another page,”
Minority Stake In Air Europa
One of the most significant investments in European aviation this year will be Turkish Airlines’ decision to invest EU 300 million ($348 million) in Spanish carrier Air Europa. This will see the Turkish carrier gain a 26% investment in the low-cost carrier. This is expected to see a significant collaboration of services between the airline and opens the door for Turkish Airlines passengers to make the most of the carrier’s growing long-haul network to South America, of which it serves more than 20 destinations on the continent, in countries that include Argentina, Brazil, Peru, and Uruguay.
The move comes as Lufthansa and Air France-KLM attempted to make their mark on the Madrid-based airline; however, TK outlasted them in the negotiation talks and, as a result, will see Turkish Airlines maintain over a quarter percent ownership of the airline. Air Europa is the third-largest airline in Spain, after flag-carrier Iberia and low-cost subsidiary Vueling. Air Europa is headquartered in Palma de Mallorca, but its largest hub is situated at Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport (MAD). Data from ch-aviation outlines the Air Europa fleet below:
|
Aircraft |
Number In Fleet |
|---|---|
|
Boeing 737-800 |
16 |
|
Boeing 737 MAX 8 |
Two (a further 18 on order) |
|
Boeing 787-8 |
Ten |
|
Boeing 787-9 |
18 |
Historically, Air Europa has operated a range of other aircraft, including the Airbus A330-200, A330-300, A340-200, ATR 42-300, Boeing 737-300, 737-400, 737-600, 757-200, 767-200, 767-300ER, British Aerospace ATP, Embraer ERJ-145, and Embraer E195.
Looking To The Skies Of Australasia
With ambitious growth plans, Turkish Airlines shows no signs of slowing down on its international expansion. The airline already operates to more countries than any other carrier, and confirmed its intentions to consider a direct flight to New Zealand in the near future. While the route would not be able to operate non-stop, it has been suggested that the flight could stop over at 
Singapore Changi Airport (SIN).
These would be the only direct flights to Europe, opening up the door for an abundance of onward connections from its Istanbul hub. Should these flights come to fruition, it would be the airline’s third gateway in Australasia, after commencing one-stop services to Melbourne Tullamarine (MEL) and 
Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD) in 2024.
Turkish Airlines first commenced operations back in 1933, and today serves more than 350 destinations across 130 countries. It operates to most major cities in Europe, with an ever-expanding network of Asian and African destinations.
