Air India’s recent order of 470 aircraft, the largest in aviation history to date, could soon be surpassed. According to Reuters, the CEO of the carrier Turkish Airlines, Ahmet Bolat, stated at a press conference on May 11 that the company plans to order a total of 600 new aircraft to be delivered over a period of 10 years.
Bolat did not mention which manufacturer he intends to order so many planes from, but an order of this size is likely to involve more than one supplier, such as Airbus and Boeing, and possibly even Embraer.
The chief executive, on the other hand, mentioned that the mega order should be formalized next month, during the annual conference of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which will be held in Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey. The event takes place between the 4th and 6th of June.
The order is expected to include 400 narrow-body jets and 200 widebodies, revealed the CEO of Turkish Airlines. He further added that the company’s fleet will reach 810 aircraft upon completion of the order in mid-2033.
“During the IATA we are going to announce orders. With one of the big manufacturers, we are almost finishing our discussions. We are going to order around 600 aircraft,” said Bolat during the launch of the company’s new inflight menu.
The order for hundreds of planes is part of Turkish Airlines’ strategic plan for the next 10 years, announced in April.
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Among the growth goals, the company intends to transport 170 million passengers annually by 2033, double the current performance of the company, which this year should serve around 85 million travelers.
Mega orders
Orders for hundreds of aircraft have been recurring in recent months. In addition to the historic order from Air India, another order that drew attention was that of Ryanair, which this week ordered 150 Boeing 737 MAX jets with an option to purchase another 150.
The movement of bulk orders is happening due to the moment of recovery of air travel after the pandemic of Covid-19. Companies that can invest want to guarantee with the manufacturers the aircraft production slots, which are increasingly scarce and competitive.
