SunExpress exercises option for 10 Boeing 737 MAXs

ANTALYA

SunExpress, a joint venture of Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa, has exercised an option for 10 Boeing 737 MAX 8s, the companies said in a written statement on Feb. 22. 

The option for the incremental MAXs was part of a 50 airplane deal signed in February 2014 and completes the largest order in the airline’s 27-year history, according to the statement. 

All together the airline currently has a firm order for 25 737-800s and 25 737 MAX 8s, it added. 

 “We are pleased to confirm these 10 optional Boeing 737 MAX 8s as a firm order that will support our growth strategy, one that the airline has been successfully implementing for four years,” said SunExpress Managing Director Jaan Albrecht. “Last year we took delivery of five brand new next generation 737-800s and this year we will receive seven new aircraft with the new SunExpress interior design. These aircraft will offer many advantages, such as lower fuel consumption, lower maintenance cost and expenses, longer range, lower emissions and less noise,” he added.

The 737 MAX incorporates the latest CFM International LEAP-1B engines with aerodynamic improvements such as new advanced technology winglets, according to the statement. 

“As an all-Boeing carrier we are proud that the airline continues to show its commitment to the 737 family and we wish it every success as it builds on its continued growth out of its base at Antalya,” said Monty Oliver, vice president of European sales for Boeing Commercial Airplanes. 

The 737 MAX 8 took its first flight on Jan. 29 and a comprehensive flight-test program is now underway leading to certification. The 737 MAX is on track for first delivery in the third quarter of 2017, according to the statement. 

With 70 Boeing 737s making up one of the most modern fleets in Europe, Turkey-based SunExpress, with its subsidiary SunExpress Deutschland, based in Frankfurt, carries around nine million passengers per year, serving more than 110 cities in Turkey and abroad, mostly in Europe, the Red Sea, the Canary Islands, Greece, Tunisia, Bulgaria and Oman.