The agreement covers 100 firm Boeing 737-8 aircraft and options for a further 50 737 MAX jets. Turkish Airlines will also have substitution rights for the larger 737-10, giving it flexibility to adjust capacity as demand develops. Boeing described the agreement as the airline’s largest single-aisle order from the US manufacturer.

Deliveries are scheduled between 2033 and 2037, according to Turkish Airlines’ disclosure to Turkey’s Public Disclosure Platform. The order is part of the carrier’s strategic plan to expand its fleet and network while increasing the proportion of new-generation aircraft. Turkish Airlines has previously said its wider fleet strategy targets an average annual growth rate of about 6% and aims for a fully new-generation fleet by 2035.

The finalisation is significant because the narrow-body portion of the Boeing deal had been held up for almost a year. Turkish Airlines had completed negotiations with Boeing but made the aircraft purchase conditional on reaching an agreement with CFM International, the engine manufacturer whose LEAP-1B engines power the 737 MAX.

The dispute centred on the commercial terms of long-term engine maintenance, including pricing and the allocation of risks associated with future repairs.

Turkish Airlines had also sought to establish a maintenance facility for 737 MAX engines that would give it earlier access to advanced repair technologies.

Reuters reported earlier this month that the disagreement had put the Boeing order at risk and raised the possibility that the airline could switch the narrow-body purchase to Airbus.

The resolution removes a major obstacle for Boeing as it seeks to rebuild momentum in its commercial aircraft business. The 737 MAX remains central to Boeing’s single-aisle product line, but the manufacturer continues to face challenges in increasing production.

Boeing Chief Executive Kelly Ortberg said last week that efforts to stabilise 737 MAX production at 47 aircraft a month were taking longer than expected. The company has been dealing with supply-chain constraints, including a slower supply of wings, while it works to certify a new production line in Everett, Washington. Boeing is targeting the production of 52 737s a month next year.

For Turkish Airlines, meanwhile, the order provides additional capacity for its extensive network centred on Istanbul. The 737 MAX is designed for short- and medium-haul operations and will allow the airline to add capacity on routes where smaller single-aisle aircraft are appropriate while replacing older aircraft over time.

Boeing says the 737 MAX family can deliver fuel savings of about 20% and a similar reduction in emissions compared with the aircraft it replaces. For an airline operating a large and geographically diverse network, those efficiency gains can be significant as fuel remains one of the industry’s major operating expenses.

The order also completes the narrow-body element of a much larger Boeing purchasing plan announced in 2025. Turkish Airlines had agreed to buy 50 Boeing 787 Dreamliners and take options on another 25 aircraft while planning the 150-aircraft MAX purchase. The combined commitment could therefore reach 225 aircraft, although the Dreamliner and MAX components have been subject to separate engine and commercial negotiations.

The carrier’s Boeing relationship is already substantial. Turkish Airlines operates a mixed fleet of Boeing and Airbus aircraft and has been pursuing an aggressive expansion programme as Istanbul strengthens its position as an international connecting hub.

The 737 MAX order also gives Boeing an important customer in a strategically located aviation market. Turkish Airlines connects Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East through Istanbul, making its fleet decisions significant beyond the country’s domestic market.

The agreement comes as airlines globally continue to place large aircraft orders despite supply-chain constraints and lengthy delivery schedules. Limited production capacity at the two major commercial aircraft manufacturers has made long-term fleet planning increasingly important, with carriers securing delivery positions years ahead.

Turkish Airlines has indicated that its fleet expansion will continue beyond the Boeing order. Reuters reported earlier this month that the carrier was also evaluating regional aircraft, including Embraer’s E2 family and Airbus’ A220, while considering larger wide-body aircraft such as the Boeing 777X and Airbus A350-1000 for future long-haul requirements.

The finalisation of the 737 MAX agreement, therefore, represents more than just the conclusion of a delayed purchase. It gives Turkish Airlines greater visibility over its future single-aisle fleet while securing Boeing a major long-term customer order.

With deliveries stretching into the 2030s, the deal forms part of the carrier’s broader strategy to expand its network, modernise its fleet and reinforce Istanbul’s role as a global aviation hub.

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The airline, during the period, carried more than 41.8 million passengers, maintaining extensive global connectivity through its main hub Hamad International Airport.

The cargo division, on the other hand, transported more than 1.43 million tonnes of chargeable weight, further consolidating its position as the world’s largest air freight carrier with a 12% global market share.

“The airline also maintained industry‑leading punctuality, achieving an 86% on‑time performance, placing it firmly among the top five most punctual carriers worldwide, and securing the most coveted recognition in global airline operations benchmarking, the Cirium Platinum Award for Operational Excellence,” said the Qatar Airways Group.

Hamad Al-Khater, Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO), said, “It is not often that a single financial year asks an organisation to demonstrate both the best of what it can achieve and the depth of what it can withstand. The 2025/26 financial year did both, and the Qatar Airways Group rose to each in turn. These results speak to the strength of this group across every measure that matters — a strong balance sheet, industry-leading operations, partnerships of real depth, and people who maintained the standards this group is known for, even under the most demanding conditions.”

“Behind every result are 57,800 people, working across more than 90 countries. In the final weeks of the financial year, many of them were managing an active crisis with a standard of professionalism that defines this organisation as much as any financial metric, and it deserves to be recognised. We are actively rebuilding our global network with the confidence that comes from a balance sheet that has never been stronger, partnerships that proved their depth when we needed them most, and an organisation that has demonstrated, under genuine pressure, exactly what it is capable of,” the senior official added further.

Among the key achievements of the 2025/26 financial year, Qatar Airways Group signed landmark agreements with Boeing and GE Aerospace for the acquisition and servicing of up to 210 aircraft and 400 engines. The deal emerged as one of the most significant fleet commitments in commercial aviation’s history.

The venture got rewarded as the “World’s Best Airline 2025” by Skytrax, an unprecedented recognition that, for the record ninth time, cemented the carrier’s excellence in global aviation. The Cirium Platinum Award for Operational Excellence, on the other hand, recognising the airline’s 86% on-time performance and elite operational standards, placing it among the world’s top five most punctual carriers.

As of May 2026, Qatar Airways operates the world’s first and largest Starlink-equipped widebody fleet, with high-speed in-flight connectivity live across Boeing 777, Airbus A350, and Boeing 787-8 aircraft, bringing seamless and free in-flight internet to passengers on various routes worldwide, including long-haul and ultra-long-haul.

The carrier’s hub, Hamad International Airport, also got rewarded last year. For the 11th consecutive year, Skytrax recognised the facility as the “Best Airport in the Middle East”, underlining it as the region’s premier aviation gateway.

Qatar Duty Free, one of the salient services offered by Hamad International Airport, also got awarded as the “Best Airport Shopping” globally by Skytrax for the third successive year, reflecting continued investment in the passenger retail and hospitality experience at the hub.

However, the carrier has flagged progress in rebuilding its global schedule as it navigates the impact of the Iran war, with the temporary airspace closures in the Middle East forcing thousands of ⁠cancellations since the conflict started at the end of February 2026.

As per Al-Khater, despite the headwinds, the Gulf carrier aims to expand its network to reach more than 160 destinations by this summer.

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