Turkish Airlines will order a total of 600 new aircraft in June and deliver them within ten years, company chairman Ahmet Bolat announced on Thursday. The order, which will be announced during IATA gathering in Istanbul from 4 to 6 of June, would consist of 400 narrow-body aircraft and 200 wide-bodies, and the fleet would increase to 810 aircraft by 2033.
Turkish Airlines is close to a deal with Boeing for part of the order, and could hand an order for the rest of the new aircraft "to the other manufacturer" at the next European air show in June. Turkish Airlines has ambitious plans to attract more traffic to its Istanbul hub, competing with European and Gulf rivals.
Boeing shares rose 0.6% and Airbus ended down 0.3%. Turkish Airlines last month announced a 10-year strategic plan and growth targets that include a goal of handling 170 million passengers by 2033.