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Why Turkish Airlines Threatened to Switch Its 737 MAX Order to Airbus—and What Happened Next

Turkish Airlines threatened to switch its 150-plane 737 MAX commitment to Airbus over engine economics and maintenance terms. In September 2026, Reuters reported that the airline finalized an order for 100 Boeing 737-8 MAX aircraft, with options for 50 more.
From TheFinanceBase Team3 min to read
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Turkish Airlines’ threat to move its 150-aircraft Boeing 737 MAX order to Airbus was a negotiating warning, not a reported cancellation. In October 2025, chairman Ahmet Bolat said the airline would sign with Boeing if engine supplier CFM offered feasible economic terms; otherwise, it could switch to Airbus. Reuters reported on September 23, 2026, that Turkish Airlines finalized an order for 100 Boeing 737-8 MAX aircraft, with options for 50 more.

Why might Turkish Airlines switch its 737 MAX order to Airbus?

The disagreement centered on the economics of supplying and maintaining the engines, including who would bear the risk of long-term repairs. Reuters reported that Turkish Airlines was seeking feasible terms from CFM International, the sole engine supplier for the 737 MAX.

Bolat put the choice plainly in an October 9, 2025 Reuters interview: “If CFM comes to feasible economical terms, then we are going to sign with Boeing,” and, “If CFM continues its stance, we’ll change to Airbus. With Airbus, I have choices.”

That supplier choice was a point of leverage. The Airbus A320neo family can be offered with engines from CFM or Pratt & Whitney, whereas the 737 MAX has only CFM as an engine supplier. The reports describe a commercial negotiation over engine terms and repair risk, not a change in aircraft safety findings.

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What was included in the 2025 Boeing announcement?

In September 2025, Turkish Airlines announced a Boeing package covering 225 aircraft. The Associated Press reported that it included 75 Boeing 787-9/787-10 aircraft and 150 737-8/10 MAX aircraft. The 787 portion comprised 50 confirmed orders and 25 options. The MAX portion was described as 100 confirmed aircraft and 50 optional aircraft, conditional on successful talks with CFM.

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Did Turkish Airlines cancel its Boeing 737 MAX order?

No cancellation was reported in the latest account. Reuters reported on September 23, 2026, that Turkish Airlines finalized firm orders for 100 Boeing 737-8 MAX aircraft, with options for another 50. The agreement concluded discussions that began in 2025 and had been held up by engine-maintenance terms. The airline could convert orders to the larger 737-10.

That later report changes the present-tense framing: the Airbus threat was an earlier negotiating position, while the reported outcome was a finalized Boeing order. The final report does not establish that every detail of the original conditional package remained unchanged.

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What engine-maintenance terms were at issue?

Alongside engine costs and long-term repair-risk allocation, Reuters reported that Turkish Airlines sought an industrial arrangement for engine maintenance in Turkey, potentially through a “Premier” maintenance plant. The September 2026 report did not make clear whether that specific arrangement was reached, so it should not be treated as a confirmed part of the finalized order.

Reuters had reported on September 15, 2026, based on unnamed sources, that the deal was back on course but not yet signed. Boeing and CFM declined to comment at that stage, and Turkish Airlines did not respond to Reuters’ request. Reuters then reported finalization on September 23.

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What would an Airbus alternative have meant?

Switching aircraft families would have offered access to another engine supplier, but the cited reports do not establish a comparable purchase price, quantified operating-cost advantage, or specific delivery-timing advantage. Those factors cannot be inferred from the supplier-choice argument alone.

Fleet fit was also relevant context: Reuters described Turkish Airlines as operating more than 400 Boeing and Airbus jets in September 2026. That mixed fleet means Airbus aircraft would not have represented an entirely new manufacturer relationship, but the reports do not quantify the costs or operational effects of changing this particular order.

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