The Turkish national carrier will not sign up for Airbus’s A380 jets yet even though the purchase of 40 aircrafts is scheduled before end of this year, the airlines’ CEO told Arabian Business in an interview.
“We have sent RFPs (requests for proposals) to the two manufacturing companies, and they are preparing those proposals for us,” said Bilal Ekşi.
“We’ll finalize the RFPs by the end of this year.”
The RFP could lead to the acquisition of 40 jets and Boeing’s 787-9 Dreamliners or Airbus A350s could be the picks.
Eksi told the Dubai-based media that as of now, the company does not need to buy new aircrafts for the time being. The airlines currently operates 328 aircrafts.
Eksi added that the company could move to acquire new jets after the opening of Istanbul’s third airport. The new airport is under construction and is scheduled to start operation late October, next year, Arabian Business reports.
The Turkish national carrier in September entered into a deal with Boeing for 40 787-9s for $11 billion.
A380, the largest commercial aircraft, was the major talking point of Dubai week-long Air show this month. The gargantuan aircraft has failed to attract buyers who have become cost-conscious and prefer to go for low-fuel consuming jets.
