Turkish Airlines orders 150 Boeing Max jets

Flag carrier Turkish Airlines has finalised an order for up to 150 Boeing 737 Max aircraft as it seeks to challenge its Middle Eastern peers in a global expansion race.

The airline placed a firm order for 100 737-8 Max jets and options for 50 more, Boeing said in a statement.

This is the airline’s largest single-aisle order, the US planemaker said.

The two companies have been discussing the deal since 2025, after it was delayed by engine disputes.

The agreement was signed in the presence of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in New York.

“The agreement includes substitution rights for the 737-10, the largest 737 MAX variant, so Turkish Airlines can comfortably serve more passengers on more routes to meet growing demand,” the statement said.

Turkish Airlines chairman Murat Şeker added that the aircraft will bring greater efficiency and flexibility to its operations.

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No financial details were disclosed.

The 737 Max reduces fuel use and emissions by 20 percent.

In September last year, the airline ordered up to 75 Boeing 787 Dreamliners after a meeting between Erdoğan and US President Donald Trump at the White House.

Turkish Airlines operates a fleet of more than 200 Boeing aircraft.

The airline reported a 21 percent year-on-year increase in revenues to $13 billion in the first half of 2026, though net earnings fell 35 percent annually to $423 million.

As of June, Turkish Airlines flew to 305 destinations across 132 countries with 28 freighters and 524 passenger aircraft. The airline owns 32 percent of its fleet.

Its shares closed 0.2 percent higher at 298.50 lira on Wednesday.

The jet order comes as Boeing’s rival Airbus, the world’s largest planemaker, forecast that the Middle East will need more than 3,800 new aircraft over the next two decades, as air traffic is set to more than double.