Turkish Airlines finalizes order for up to 150 Boeing 737 MAX jets, 100 firm

Boeing said Thursday that it and Turkish Airlines have finalized an order for up to 150 737 MAX jets, a major narrowbody aircraft deal that gives Türkiye’s flag carrier more capacity for long-term fleet growth and adds to Boeing’s backlog. The agreement includes 100 firm orders for the 737-8 and options for 50 additional 737 MAX airplanes, with substitution rights for the larger 737-10, according to Boeing’s press release.

Boeing described the transaction as Turkish Airlines’ largest Boeing single-aisle order. The order is significant for both companies because it locks in deliveries well into the next decade, underscoring that the purchase is aimed more at long-range fleet planning than near-term route expansion.

The U.S. planemaker said the agreement was finalized Sept. 23 “in the presence of” President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Türkiye. Separately, Turkish financial media, citing the airline’s public-disclosure filing on the KAP platform, reported that Turkish Airlines’ board approved the purchase and that the aircraft are scheduled for delivery from 2033 through 2037.

“This agreement marks another significant step in the continued expansion of our fleet,” Prof. Murat Şeker, chairman of Turkish Airlines, said in Boeing’s release.

Boeing said Turkish Airlines, including its AJet unit, already operates more than 200 Boeing airplanes. The new single-aisle order follows Turkish Airlines’ 2025 order for up to 75 Boeing 787 Dreamliners, which Boeing has presented as part of a broader fleet modernization and growth relationship with the carrier across both short- and long-haul aircraft.

Stephanie Pope, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said in the release: “This order reflects the trust and shared vision that have defined our long-standing partnership with Turkish Airlines.”

Boeing has said the 737 MAX family reduces fuel use and emissions by 20% compared with the airplanes they replace, though that is a manufacturer claim. Reuters reported earlier in September that the narrowbody package had been delayed by a dispute involving CFM International, the engine supplier for the 737 MAX family, over maintenance and industrial-participation terms.