SunExpress has shared its “full confidence” in Boeing, exercising options for 10 additional Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft at the Dubai Airshow.
The agreement, valued at $1.2 billion at list prices, adds to a previous SunExpress order for 32 MAX aircraft and will support the airline’s fleet renewal.
“We have a long standing, strong and trustful relationship with Boeing and thus we decided to turn our option into an order. We stand behind our strategic decision to phase the 737 MAX into our fleet for all of its economic and ecological advantages, mid- and long-term,” said Jens Bischof, CEO of SunExpress. “We have full confidence that Boeing will deliver us a safe, reliable, and efficient aircraft. However, it goes without saying that this requires the undisputed airworthiness of the model, granted by all relevant authorities. Our utmost priority at SunExpress is and has always been safety.”
The airline specialises in offering direct connections between Europe, Turkey and popular holiday destinations and has been achieving significant growth – reporting a passenger count of nearly 10 million across 100 destinations last year.
“We are honoured and humbled by the trust that SunExpress has placed in our team at Boeing,” said Stan Deal, president & CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “We regret the impact the MAX grounding has had on SunExpress and their passengers. The Boeing team is working hard to safely return the airplane to service and providing the capacity for SunExpress to continue serving as the backbone of air travel in the Turkish tourism industry.”
