THY celebrates mega aircraft deal with Airbus and Rolls-Royce
THY, Airbus, and Rolls-Royce join forces in a landmark collaboration, bolstering Türkiye’s aviation prowess and propelling sustainable growth
Turkish Airlines’ (THY) Chairman of the Board and Executive Committee, Ahmet Bolat, expressed the airline’s commitment to collaborative strategies to enhance operational efficiency and sustainable growth on the global aviation stage.
“With this significant collaboration among three major companies (THY, Airbus, and Rolls-Royce), as Turkish Airlines, we will continue to leverage advanced technologies and collaboration strategies to strengthen our pioneering role in the global aviation scene, enhance operational efficiency, and contribute to our sustainable growth,” Bolat stated.
An event was held at the THY Headquarters to celebrate THY’s December 2023 order of 150 A321neo and 80 A350 aircraft from Airbus and Rolls-Royce.
During the event, the launch of the Strategic Türkiye Enhanced Programme (STEP) was announced by Airbus, THY, and aviation companies in Türkiye. This program aims to create economic value over the next 15 years and further develop the Turkish aviation and aerospace industry in line with THY’s long-term strategic growth plan.
Additionally, a letter of intent based on strategic collaborations was signed between THY, Airbus, and Rolls-Royce.
Türkiye’s Century vision
The event was attended by top management of Airbus and Rolls-Royce, as well as Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır, Minister of Trade Omer Bolat, Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloglu, Deputy Minister of National Defense Bilal Durdalı, representatives of leading Turkish aviation and aerospace companies, and Consuls General of the United Kingdom, France, and Spain.
Speaking at the opening of the event, Ahmet Bolat, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of THY, expressed their delight in implementing the Strategic Türkiye Enhanced Programme, which demonstrates deepened collaboration with aircraft manufacturer Airbus.
Stressing their aim to elevate the country and the sector with the support of stakeholders and partners, Bolat made the following remarks:
“Effective communication between the world’s aviation leaders Airbus and Rolls-Royce and our aviation sector, as well as the establishment of the STEP to identify new projects, prepare the industry for tenders based on manufacturers’ demands, and monitor the implementation and progress of identified projects, will exponentially enhance the capabilities and competitiveness of Turkish aviation, positioning our sector in a much more pioneering and innovative position in line with Türkiye’s Century vision.”
$56 billion to the Turkish economy and 400 aircraft in 2023
Bolat noted their contribution of $56 billion to the Turkish economy last year, stating, “We will contribute $101 billion in 2028 and $144 billion in 2033 to Turkey’s economy. This is a significant contribution to reducing our country’s current account deficit.”
Recalling reaching the 400th aircraft milestone last year, Bolat stated, “We currently have 454 aircraft. If we continue our work as we do now, Turkish Airlines will double its current position within 10 years, meaning it will double the position it has reached in 90 years in the next 10 years.”
Airbus honors to establish partnership with Türkiye
Guillaume Faury, CEO of Airbus, expressed their honor in supporting THY’s growth as one of the world’s premier airlines and elevating their partnership with Türkiye through the newly announced STEP program.
“We are honored to elevate our partnership with Türkiye through the STEP program,” said Airbus CEO.
“The program will further expand Airbus’s collaboration with Türkiye, focusing on supply chain development, skills, and sustainability to support Turkish Airlines’ growth objectives,” Faury stated.
Faury expressed their hope to take their partnership with THY to a higher level, saying, “We have designed a program for this. We will work not only with THY but also with the Ministry of Defense and other stakeholders in the sector. We are very pleased with the successes achieved by Turks in aviation over the past 20 years.”
‘Türkiye is a strategically important market’, says Rolls-Royce
Tufan Erginbilgic, CEO of Rolls-Royce, stated that Türkiye is a strategically important market within the company’s areas of operation.
Erginbilgic expressed satisfaction with THY’s trust in the “Trent XWB” engines, saying, “We look forward to collaborating with Turkish Airlines and our partners to benefit the Turkish economy, enhance the country’s capabilities in this field, and expand its role in energy transition. On behalf of our company, I am excited about strengthening our valuable relations with Turkish Airlines and Türkiye.”
During the meeting, it was revealed that with the latest aircraft order, THY will become the largest operator of Rolls-Royce’s Trent XWB engines worldwide. In line with the partnership, Rolls-Royce will begin research on establishing a potential Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) operation and implementing a series of industrial initiatives in Türkiye, including further supply chain solutions.
Source: Newsroom
