SunExpress orders 40 Boeing 737 aircraft

WASHINGTON - Agence France-Presse

DHA Photo

Turkish carrier SunExpress has ordered 40 Boeing 737 aircraft and taken options to buy an additional 10 planes as the all-Boeing operator updates its fleet, the companies said.

SunExpress, a joint venture of Turkish Airlines and German carrier Lufthansa, is buying 25 Next-Generation 737-800 airplanes and 15 737 MAX 8s. The company has options for 10 additional 737 MAX 8s.

The order is valued at more than $3.8 billion at list prices, Boeing said Feb. 19.

SunExpress said the order marked a change from its practice of mostly leasing aircraft.

“In the present market environment purchasing is considerably more economical than leasing,” SunExpress managing director Paul Schwaiger said in a statement.

“The decision in favor of Boeing was reached as a result of the better offer, but also on the basis of the outstanding cooperation ever since the foundation of SunExpress 24 years ago,” he said.

Based in Antalya, SunExpress is one of the leading passenger carriers between Germany and Turkey.