Turkish Airlines to order Airbus aircraft powered by Rolls-Royce
Image © Airbus S.A.S. 2023
This follows two orders from the airline for 10 A350-900s in September and four A350-900s in July 2023. This latest order will take Turkish Airlines’ total orderbook for Airbus aircraft to 504, of which 212 are already delivered.
Turkish Airlines Chairman of the Board and the Executive Committee, Prof. Dr. Ahmet Bolat, said: “This landmark order is more than an expansion, it’s a testament to our dedication to innovation, operational excellence and a sustainable future.
"The addition of these advanced Airbus aircraft to our fleet will not only enhance our operational capabilities but also significantly contribute to our environmental goals. This investment is a crucial milestone in the further evolution of Türkiye’s aviation industry. By modernising our fleet with more efficient and environmentally friendly aircraft, we are reinforcing our leading position in global aviation and contributing to the nation’s prominence as an aviation hub.”
Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer and Head of International, said: "This order for the latest generation aircraft is a demonstration of the bold vision by Turkish Airlines. The A350-900, A350-1000, A350F and A321 will all be flagship aircraft in their respective category and efficiency drivers to shape the airline’s future and sustainable expansion, with more range, less fuel, noise and emissions and best cabin in class.
“The opening into the A350-1000 and the A350F highlights the cross-model value of the A350 family and reinforces our long-lasting partnership with Turkish Airlines and Türkiye’s aviation sector. We are proud to accompany Türkiye's connection to the world with our state-of-the-art aircraft."
The A321neo is the largest aircraft in Airbus’ A320neo Family. To date over 5,600 A321neos have been ordered by more than 100 customers across the globe.
The A350 is a modern widebody aircraft in the 300-410 seater category, flying efficiently on any sector from short-haul to ultra-long-haul routes up to 9,700nm. Its clean sheet design includes state-of-the-art technologies, aerodynamics, lightweight materials and latest generation engines, that together deliver 25% advantage in fuel burn, operating costs and CO₂ emissions, as well as 50% noise reduction compared to previous generation competitor aircraft.
The A350 Family has two versions, the A350-900 and the longer fuselage A350-1000. By end November 2023, the A350 Family has won 1,072 orders from 57 leading customers from all around the globe.
The A350F features the largest main deck cargo door and a fuselage length optimised for cargo operations. Over 70% of the airframe is made of advanced materials, which together with efficient Rolls-Royce engines generate an advantage of at least 20% lower fuel burn and CO₂ emission over its current closest competitor.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch have welcomed this momentous deal for Airbus - which will be worth billions of pounds to the UK - with the aircrafts' engines to be provided by Rolls-Royce. The agreement announced by the companies today in Istanbul will support thousands of high-skilled jobs across the UK, helping to boost exports and grow the economy.
A significant portion of the manufacturing process for the new aircraft is expected to take place in the UK. All the wings will be designed in Filton, Bristol and assembled in North Wales, supporting hundreds of manufacturing jobs in the UK aerospace supply chain.
The new A350 aircraft will also be exclusively powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines, which are assembled and tested in Derby.
In 2022 the UK’s aerospace sector contributed £10.9 billion to the UK economy, exported around 70% of its domestic output and directly employed 108,000 high-skilled people, 90% of which are outside London and the South East. It is also a leading sector for high value apprenticeships, with 5,200 currently employed in the sector.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “This landmark deal between Turkish Airlines, Airbus and Rolls-Royce demonstrates that the sky’s the limit for the UK’s thriving aerospace sector.
“Meeting the growing demand in aviation will create better-paid jobs and new opportunities in manufacturing hubs from Derby to Wales, so we can continue growing the economy.
“The UK is already a top investment destination and by strengthening trade ties with growing economic powers like Turkey we will ensure UK businesses remain at the forefront of global growth and innovation as we build on the record-breaking Global Investment Summit we hosted in London last month.”
Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch said: “This is a big win for the UK’s world-leading aerospace sector and one that will help secure high-skilled jobs across the country and drive economic growth. Our plan for British manufacturing is working and our recently released Advanced Manufacturing Plan will ensure the wins keep coming.”
The Government has and continues to provide financial support to Airbus and Rolls-Royce to develop their civil aircraft and Trent engine families respectively, through the £1.37 billion government-industry Aerospace Technology Institute Programme, keeping the UK at the forefront of global aerospace innovation.
Rolls-Royce plc CEO Tufan Erginbilgic said: “Today’s announcement marks an exciting and truly historic day for Rolls-Royce. It is proof that the actions we are taking to transform Rolls-Royce into a high performing and competitive company underpinned by profitable growth are working.
“The Trent XWB is the perfect engine platform to support Turkish Airlines as it continues to grow. This order will make Turkish Airlines the largest Trent XWB operator in the world, and I would like to thank them for putting their trust in Rolls-Royce.
“Türkiye is a strategically important market for us, and it is imperative to develop long-term partnerships with the airline and other important Turkish stakeholders.
“We look forward to working with Turkish Airlines as they continue to connect their passengers across global communities and cultures.”
With this latest order from Turkish Airlines the A350F orderbook stands at 50 orders from nine customers following its launch at Dubai Airshow two years ago.
