ISTANBUL: Turkish Airlines has announced a commitment to order 40 787-9 Dreamliners from aircraft manufacturer Boeing.
The announcement was made during the recent visit of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to New York to join the United Nations General Assembly.
“Our agreement to purchase 787 Dreamliners is a significant step forward in enhancing our passengers’ flight experience as these aircraft are the latest and one of the most advanced in the world,” said M. İlkerAycı, Chairman of the Board and the Executive Committee, Turkish Airlines. “This order is set to play a key role in our growing business in the years to come, and we look forward to further continue our relationship with Boeing. During the talks to finalise the order, we are strictly evaluating the $1 billion worth business volume for the local Turkish supplier industry.”
In addition to this order commitment, Boeing and the Turkish government also announced the Boeing Turkey National Aerospace Initiative, which is designed to support the growth of the Turkish aerospace industry, in conjunction with the targets set by Turkey’s Vision 2023, and strengthen Boeing’s presence in the market.
“Boeing’s relationship with Turkey spans more than 70 years and we have outstanding long-term partnerships, “said Ray Conner, Boeing vice chairman. “Working together with Turkey, we are now taking our collaboration to the next level, which will accelerate the growth of the Turkish aerospace industry while achieving Boeing’s long-term objective to expand its presence in the marketplace. Apart from this, we greatly value the new order commitment that we announce together with Turkish Airlines, the national flag carrier of Turkey, and aim to move this successful cooperation much more forward in the forthcoming periods.”
The initiative outlines a strategic framework that aligns Boeing investment and programs with Turkish Aviation Industry’s key figures/ stakeholders in the areas of research, engineering and skills development. It also reflects Boeing’s confidence in the outlook for Turkey as a significant market and a leading global industry participant.
