Turkish Airlines selects Airbus A350 XWB with an MoU for 25 units, lifting its fleet to new heights

Airbus newest widebody aircraft for leading Turkish carrier

Istanbul-based Turkish Airlines has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to acquire 25 A350-900 aircraft plus five options, underlining its strong confidence in the global market-dynamism and growth.

“With Turkish Airlines serving more destinations than any other airline around the world, we are delighted to build our future on Airbus’ all-new A350 XWB to support the development of our international route-network from our Istanbul and Ankara hubs,” said Turkish Airlines Chairman, M. Ilker Ayci.

“We are extremely proud at Airbus to count Turkish Airlines as a new A350 operator, the world’s most modern and efficient widebody aircraft.” said Eric Schulz, Chief Commercial Officer, Airbus’. ”This order strengthens and expands the long-lasting partnership between Airbus, Turkish Airlines and Turkey overall.”

Turkish Airlines currently operates an Airbus fleet of 167 aircraft with a further 92 A321neo on the backlog.

Turkey is an integral part of the Airbus supply chain for almost 20 years, being a partner in all Airbus aircraft programmes, including the prestigious A350 XWB.

The A350 XWB is an all-new family of mid-size wide-body long-haul airliners shaping the future of air travel, featuring the latest aerodynamic design, carbon fibre fuselage and wings, plus new fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines. Together, these latest technologies translate into unrivalled levels of operational efficiency, with a 25 percent reduction in fuel burn and emissions, and significantly lower maintenance costs. The Airspace cabin which, on top of the aircraft spaciousness and quietness, provides better ambience, design and services, contributing to superior levels of comfort and well-being, and setting new standards in terms of flight experience for passengers in all classes.

At end February 2018, Airbus has recorded a total of 854 firm orders for the A350 XWB from 45 customers worldwide.

Toulouse, 9 March 2018

Comment: the initial MoU signed in Paris in January was for 20 firm orders and 5 options. The airline will also buy 25 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, with options on 5 more. Its original letter of intent with Boeing, signed in September 2017, was for 40 787-9s.