Boeing released a written statement on Monday that said the firm and THY had finalized an order for 20 Next-Generation 737 airplanes: 10 737-800s and the same number of 737-900ERs (Extended Range). The 737-900ER will be the latest of the 737 group to join the THY fleet. The carrier will pay Boeing some $1.6 billion for the new planes.
THY currently operates a fleet of 66 Boeing airplanes, including 58 Next-Generation 737s. The 737-900ER is the newest member of the 737 family, combining aerodynamic and other design changes to provide more room for up to 215 passengers while retaining the high performance that gives the Next-Generation 737 models world-class flexibility and efficiency.
“The 737-800 is the backbone of the Turkish Airlines fleet and proves its value on a daily basis, offering unmatched levels of efficiency and reliability,” Marlin Dailey, vice president of sales, Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said in the company statement.
SunExpress expands fleet to 21 planes
SunExpress, a subsidiary of THY and Germany’s Lufthansa, has expanded its fleet to 21 planes with its recent purchase of a Boeing 737-800 aircraft. Releasing a written statement on Monday, SunExpress said its seat capacity has increased to 4,044 thanks to this latest purchase, which will be used in Antalya-based flights.
“Having increased its number of passengers by 32.3 percent in 2009, SunExpress expects to reach 7 million passengers and grow its number of aircraft to 25 before the end of 2010,” the statement read.
Established in 1989, SunExpress is the market leader in charter flights between Germany and Turkey as well as one of the largest scheduled carriers between Europe and southern Turkey.
