Turkish Airlines is considering the purchase of new Boeing and Airbus aircraft, including the superjumbo Airbus A380, which is under threat of being mothballed.
“We have some plans to purchase next-generation wide-body aircraft. Within this scope, we are evaluating options including the A350 and B787,” said Ahmet Bolat, the carrier’s chief investment and technology officer. “We are also evaluating the A380, all subject to the approval of our board, of course.”
The future of the Airbus A380 aircraft depends on new sales, particularly from Dubai-based Emirates, which is asking for an upgraded version, the A380neo, before placing more orders.
Few airports can accommodate the A380 aircraft, another hurdle for continuing its production.
Airbus expected to meet its target to sell 25 A380 planes this year, but it was not in talks with any potential new customers from the Middle East, said Fabrice Bregier, its chief executive, this week. But he added that there was “no urgency” to build a more fuel-efficient version of the world’s biggest passenger aircraft because of the low oil prices.
Airbus expects to break even on the A380 aircraft for this year until 2017, but the aircraft’s future is uncertain beyond 2020.
Currently, Emirates Airways, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways, the Arabian Gulf’s three biggest airlines, operate the A380 aircraft, which works well for carriers serving major long-haul aviation hubs.
Emirates, the biggest operator of the A380, has been pushing for improved fuel efficiency for the plane.
Turkish Airlines is competing with the Gulf carriers on long-haul flights, but it does not face the same backlash from US and European airlines that have accused their Gulf rivals of benefiting from government subsidies.
Gulf airlines have refuted all of the claims, and have asserted that their flights to Europe and North America, as well as their major aircraft orders have contributed to job creation and economic gains in the two continents.
“We will continue to grow in the Europe, Asia, Middle East and Africa markets with a planned and balanced capacity expansion, and while also considering the transfer passenger potential,” said Mr Bolat. “We are still very small in the America market, so we can naturally increase our market share for local and transfer markets. We definitely plan to increase our capacity in America.”
Turkish Airlines aims to carry 120 million passengers by 2023, nearly double its forecast of 61.7 million passengers for this year. The airline, which will have a fleet of 299 aircraft this year, has 220 aircraft orders due for delivery by 2021.
The airline is eyeing different forms of financing for its orders, including financing backed by the Export-Import Bank of the United States and Enhanced Equipment Trust Certificate, a form of debt financing.
dalsaadi@thenational.ae
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