Turkish Airlines nears deal for up to 150 Boeing 737 MAX jets, Reuters reports
Reuters reported the airline and Boeing were closing in on the order last week, with 100 firm jets and 50 options
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UpdateWednesday, September 23, 2026 at 12:55 PM ET
The order, previously reported as close to being finalised, has now been finalised.
Boeing and Turkish Airlines have finalised the order for up to 150 737 MAX jets.
Turkish Airlines is close to finalising an order for up to 150 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, Reuters reported between September 16 and 21. The reported deal covers 100 firm orders and 50 options for the 737-8 and 737-10 variants, according to Reuters, via Travel Extra.
The 150 jets are the outstanding part of a 225-plane Boeing package first announced after a meeting between Turkish President Erdoğan and US President Trump in September last year, Reuters reported, via Turkish Minute. As part of that broader package, Turkish Airlines separately placed firm orders for 50 Boeing 787 Dreamliners and took options for 25 more, Reuters reported.
The MAX order had been held up by a dispute between Turkish Airlines and CFM International over pricing and terms for long-term maintenance of the LEAP-1B engines that power the aircraft, Reuters reported. Aviation A2Z, citing Reuters sources, reported that Turkish Airlines had sought to set up a CFM premier maintenance facility to take a bigger role in servicing its growing LEAP-powered fleet. By September 16, Reuters reported the agreement was back on track and could be signed within the week. Turkish Airlines cancelled an earlier order for 40 737 MAX jets in 2020 during the pandemic, according to the airline's fleet page on Wikipedia.
An order of this size would add to a pipeline of 737 MAX demand that already includes Ryanair and Lufthansa, supporting Boeing's effort to raise production and stabilise cash flow after years of disruption. With certification of the larger 737 MAX 10 variant expected and wing supply constraints gradually easing, a large new commitment from Turkish Airlines would reinforce that market acceptance of the MAX is solid and that demand, rather than production, remains the constraint on Boeing's recovery.