Turkish Airlines talks to Airbus about ordering 355 new jets

ANKARA (Reuters): Turkish Airlines (THY) on Saturday held talks with Airbus to discuss a potential order of 355 new aircraft, the state-run Anadolu news agency said.

During the meeting, which took place in Istanbul, officials from Turkish Airlines discussed buying 75 wide-body A350-900 and 15 wide-body A350-1000 aircraft as well as 250 narrow-body A321neo aircraft and five A350F cargo aircraft, in addition to 10 A350-900s for which terms have already been agreed.

If the parties agree, the order will be the largest in the airline’s history.

In May, Turkish Airlines chairman Ahmet Bolat said the company was planning to order a total of 600 new aircraft in June and they would be delivered within 10 years. Part of the order would be optional and the final order would depend on a government decision, expected in two months, he said in June.

Turkish Airlines officials also held talks with Rolls Royce for engine maintenance services and spare engines for the wide-body A350 aircraft, Anadolu said.