Turkish Airlines and Airbus today signed an MoU to acquire 20 A350-900 aircraft, with the option of purchasing an additional five.

The agreement was signed at the Élysée Palace, Paris, during Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s official visit to France with French president Emmanuel Macron.

“With Turkish Airlines serving more destinations than any other airline around the world, we will be delighted to rely on our new A350 XWB to further develop our major international routes from Turkey.” said M. İlker Aycı, chairman of the board and the executive committee, Turkish Airlines.

Aycı added: “With this agreement today, we have signed our good will to carry on and finalise the acquisition with Airbus. Our agreement is a significant step forward in enhancing our passengers’ flight experience. This order is set to play a key role in our growing business in the years to come. As we will be strictly evaluating during the talks to finalise the order, furthermore the increased business volume for the local Turkish supplier industry by Airbus will be a great gain for the sector."

Turkey is an integral part of the Airbus supply chain for almost 20 years, being a partner in all Airbus aircraft programmes, including the prestigious A350 XWB. While Airbus focusses on the continued development of long-term cooperation projects with Turkey, the Turkish aeronautical industries progressively have embarked and built-up a remarkable portfolio of high capabilities and skills over the last 10 years.

The A350 XWB is an all new family of mid-size wide-body long-haul airliners shaping the future of air travel. The A350 XWB features the latest aerodynamic design, carbon fiber fuselage and wings, plus new fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce engines. Together, these latest technologies translate into unrivalled levels of operational efficiency, with a 25 per cent reduction in fuel burn and emissions, and significantly lower maintenance costs. The A350 XWB features an Airspace cabin which, on top of the aircraft spaciousness and quietness, provides better ambience, design and services, contributing to superior levels of comfort and well-being, and setting new standards in terms of flight experience for all passengers. - TradeArabia News Service