Celebrating the historic order for 150 A321neo and 80 A350 Family plane positioned in December 2023, Türkiye’s flag provider Turkish Airlines, Airbus and Rolls-Royce got here collectively at Turkish Airlines’ headquarters in Istanbul. Present have been the Turkish Minister of Trade Mr. Prof. Ömer Bolat, Minister of Industry and Technology Mr. Mehmet Fatih Kacır, Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Mr. Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, and Deputy Minister of National Defence Mr. Bilal Durdalı, representatives of prime Turkish aerospace corporations in addition to the British Consul General, and undersecretaries of France and Spain.
The celebration additionally marked the revealing of the Strategic Türkiye Enhanced Programme (STEP), which was created by Airbus, Turkish Airlines and aerospace corporations in Türkiye to additional develop the Turkish aerospace trade consistent with Turkish Airlines’ long-term strategic development plan and create exponential financial worth over the subsequent 15 years.
The latest plane order place Turkish Airlines because the world’s largest operator of Rolls-Royce’s Trent XWB engine. In line with the partnership with Rolls-Royce, the producer is exploring the implementation of plenty of industrial initiatives in Türkiye, together with the potential institution of a aggressive Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) functionality and additional provide chain sourcing.
Commenting on the STEP and the partnership with Rolls-Royce Turkish Airlines Chairman of the Board and the Executive Committee, Prof. Ahmet Bolat acknowledged: “We are glad concerning the launch of the Strategic Türkiye Enhanced Programme with Airbus, which is a testomony to our deepening collaboration with the plane producer. Given the fast developments in expertise, as we speak marks the graduation of our efforts to assist domesticate Turkish aviation corporations into potential suppliers, aligning intently with Airbus’ strategic goals and their newly recognized enterprise domains.
We are additionally delighted to additional strengthen our relationship with Rolls-Royce. By becoming a member of forces with the manufacturing giants, we underscore our dedication to each excellence and the additional improvement of Türkiye’s aerospace capabilities. With the numerous cooperation between three helpful corporations, Turkish Airlines will proceed to leverage superior applied sciences and collaborative methods to improve our operational efficiencies and contribute to persevering with our sustainable development whereas reinforcing our main position on the worldwide aviation stage.”
Guillaume Faury, Airbus CEO mentioned: “We thank Turkish Airlines for their trust and we are honoured to both support their growth as one of the world‘s elite airlines and develop our partnership with Türkiye through the new STEP programme we are unveiling today. The programme will provide the framework for Airbus to further broaden its collaboration with Türkiye and support Turkish Airlines’ growth ambitions, with a particular focus on supply chain development, skills and sustainability.”
Tufan Erginbilgiç, Rolls-Royce CEO mentioned: “Türkiye is a strategically important market for Rolls-Royce across our business. We are very pleased with the confidence that Turkish Airlines has placed in our Trent XWB engines. We now look forward to working with Turkish Airlines and our partners to use our extensive aerospace engineering experience to benefit the Turkish economy, grow the country’s skills base and expand its role in the energy transition. I am personally very energised by the strengthening relationship between our great company, Turkish Airlines and the Republic of Türkiye.”
Türkiye has been an integral a part of Airbus’ provide chain for over 20 years, and as we speak each Airbus industrial plane from the A220 to the A350 consists of Turkish provided elements. Directly and not directly over 3,500 Turkish aeronautical jobs are supported by Airbus. At the top of 2023, the accrued whole quantity invested by Airbus in Türkiye has exceeded US$4 billion. In addition, the 20-year collaboration has established a wealth of experience, technological developments and a extremely expert workforce in Türkiye’s aerospace sector.
These initiatives goal to additional develop the Turkish aerospace trade in accordance with Turkish Airlines development ambition in addition to Türkiye’s goal to develop a strong aerospace trade. Supported with the acquisition of A321neo and A350 plane which aligns with Turkish Airlines’ ongoing dedication to increase its attain and improve service capabilities throughout its intensive flight community, the partnership additionally underscores all three companions’ concentrate on sustainability and technological development. This forward-thinking strategy is designed to foster innovation, create high-skilled jobs, and elevate Türkiye as a key participant within the aerospace sector.
