The carrier’s largest Boeing single-aisle order follows its 2025 purchase of up to 75 Dreamliners and adds another major piece to its Istanbul-led fleet expansion
Turkish Airlines has ordered 100 Boeing 737-8 aircraft and secured options for 50 additional 737 MAX jets in its largest Boeing single-aisle purchase
- Turkish Airlines has placed a firm order for 100 Boeing 737-8 aircraft and taken options for 50 additional 737 MAX jets
- The agreement includes substitution rights for the larger 737-10 and is the airline’s largest Boeing single-aisle order
- The MAX purchase follows Turkish Airlines’ 2025 order for up to 75 Boeing 787 Dreamliners, bringing the combined potential total to 225 aircraft
- Boeing said on September 16 that 737-10 flight testing was complete and certification work had moved into final documentation with the U.S. FAA
(NEWS) NEW YORK, New York, United States, 2026-Sep-23 — /Travel PR News/ — Turkish Airlines has turned last year’s commitment for a major Boeing narrowbody purchase into a firm order for 100 737-8 aircraft, with options for 50 additional 737 MAX jets, giving the Istanbul-based carrier another large block of capacity for future short- and medium-haul growth.
The agreement, announced by Boeing on September 23, is Turkish Airlines’ largest Boeing single-aisle order. It also includes substitution rights for the larger 737-10, allowing the airline to adjust the mix of aircraft as its network and capacity requirements evolve.
The deal completes discussions first disclosed in 2025 and follows Turkish Airlines’ separate order for up to 75 787 Dreamliners. That widebody purchase comprised 35 787-9s and 15 787-10s, plus options for another 25 Dreamliners. Taken together, the two agreements cover as many as 225 Boeing aircraft if all options are exercised.
A larger narrowbody platform for Istanbul growth
For Turkish Airlines, the 737-8 order adds capacity suited to domestic, regional and medium-haul international flying from its Istanbul hub. Boeing says Turkish Airlines and its AJet subsidiary already operate more than 200 Boeing aircraft across the 737 MAX, 737 Next-Generation, 777, 787 Dreamliner and 777 Freighter families.
Prof Murat Şeker, Turkish Airlines chairman of the board and executive committee, said the additional MAX aircraft are intended to bring more efficiency and operational flexibility as the carrier expands its network. The order was finalized in New York in the presence of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The airline’s reach gives the order significance beyond a straightforward fleet replacement cycle. Turkish Airlines currently serves 358 airports across 133 countries, according to its own network information, making the addition of new narrowbody capacity particularly relevant to the connecting traffic flows feeding its Istanbul hub.
737-10 rights add flexibility, but certification remains a factor
The agreement gives Turkish Airlines the right to substitute some aircraft for the 737-10, the largest member of the MAX family. That variant offers more seats than the 737-8, but its entry into service remains dependent on certification. On September 16, Boeing said flight testing had been completed and that the programme was in the final documentation phase with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, with certification expected soon.
That timing matters because the substitution provision gives Turkish Airlines a way to match future capacity requirements with two different MAX sizes while the 737-10 progresses toward commercial service. Boeing has said the 737-10 is designed for 185 to 210 passengers in typical configurations, compared with 160 to 180 for the 737-8.
Boeing also says the 737 MAX family can reduce fuel use and emissions by about 20% compared with the aircraft it replaces. For Turkish Airlines, those claimed operating efficiencies sit alongside a broader objective of adding capacity while refreshing a fleet that supports one of the world’s widest international networks.
Two major Boeing orders reshape the carrier’s future fleet
The finalized MAX purchase gives Turkish Airlines a substantial Boeing pipeline across both narrowbody and long-haul aircraft. The 787 order addresses intercontinental growth and fleet renewal, while the new 737-8 commitment provides a large pool of single-aisle aircraft for shorter sectors and connections into Istanbul.
Stephanie Pope, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, described the order as an extension of the manufacturers’ long-running relationship with Turkish Airlines. Boeing said the agreement is also accompanied by industrial participation intended to support Türkiye’s aviation sector.
For passengers, the effect will unfold over a multi-year delivery cycle rather than immediately. Strategically, however, the order gives Turkish Airlines considerably more flexibility to add frequencies, replace older aircraft and support network growth as its Boeing fleet expands across both single-aisle and widebody types.
