Historic Turkish Airlines deal signed for Airbus, Rolls-Royce
21st Dec 2023 | In News | By Michael Tyrrell
Airbus is to provide 220 aircraft to Turkish Airlines in a new deal worth billions in pounds to the UK.
The deal includes 150 A321 aircraft and 70 A350 family aircraft, the engines for which will be provided by Rolls-Royce.
The agreement announced by the companies in Istanbul will support thousands of high-skilled jobs across the UK, helping to boost exports and grow the economy.
This latest order will take Turkish Airlines’ total orderbook for Airbus aircraft to 504, of which 212 are already delivered.
A significant portion of the manufacturing process for the new aircraft is expected to take place in the UK. All the wings will be designed in Filton, Bristol, and assembled in North Wales, supporting hundreds of manufacturing jobs in the UK aerospace supply chain.
The new A350 aircraft will also be exclusively powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines, which are assembled and tested in Derby, and will deliver 25% lower CO2 emissions compared to previous generation aircraft.
In 2022 the UK aerospace industry contributed £10.9bn to the UK economy, exported around 70% of its domestic output and directly employed 108,000 high-skilled people, 90% of which are outside London and the South East. It is also a leading sector for high value apprenticeships, with 5,200 currently employed in sector.
"This order for the latest generation aircraft is a demonstration of the bold vision by Turkish Airlines. The A350-900, A350-1000, A350F and A321 will all be flagship aircraft in their respective category and efficiency drivers to shape the airline’s future and sustainable expansion, with more range, less fuel, noise and emissions and best cabin in class," commented Christian Scherer, Airbus chief commercial officer and head of international.
Rolls-Royce CEO Tufan Erginbilgic said: “Today’s announcement marks an exciting and truly historic day for Rolls-Royce. It is proof that the actions we are taking to transform Rolls-Royce into a high performing and competitive company underpinned by profitable growth are working.
“The Trent XWB is the perfect engine platform to support Turkish Airlines as it continues to grow. This order will make Turkish Airlines the largest Trent XWB operator in the world, and I would like to thank them for putting their trust in Rolls-Royce.”
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