300+ Engines: Major Airline Signs Huge Deal To Power Its Boeing 737 MAX Fleet

Louis is a military historian and the staff writer for History of War magazine, a leading military history monthly. He also has an interest in private and commercial aviation.

Turkish Airlines, Turkish Technic and CFM International have announced a memorandum of understanding for the CFM LEAP 1-B engine. At least 300 engines are included in the deal, which will power the 100 firm orders and 50 additional options for Boeing 737 MAX aircraft on Turkish Airlines' order sheet.

Along with the engines that come with the aircraft, the deal will also include parts and spares, along with previously ordered and delivered engines. The total number of engines that the deal could encompass may exceed 600, spread across Turkish Airlines and AJet, its subsidiary. Simple Flying has contacted Turkish Airlines for additional comment.

A Deal Made In Istanbul

The deal between Turkish Airlines, Turkish Technic and CFM International was made in Istanbul. It involved Prof. Murat Şeker, Chairman of the Board and the Executive Committee of Turkish Airlines, Mikail Akbulut, CEO and Board Member of Turkish Technic, and Olivier Andriès, CEO of Safran.

Safran is part of a partnership of two manufacturers that make up CFM International. Along with the commitment for up to 600 engines, the deal also involved a material services agreement. This part of the deal will support a new engine maintenance, repair, and overhaul facility in Turkey. Andriès said:

“This MoU marks a new milestone in our successful relationship with Turkish Airlines, a trusted partner for nearly four decades. It reflects our shared ambition to support the airline’s continued growth and fleet expansion. The MoU demonstrates our commitment to an open MRO ecosystem."

The Deal Builds On A Pre-Existing Relationship Between The Airline & Manufacturer

Turkish Airlines already operates plenty of aircraft that are powered by engines manufactured by CFM International. The airline has a fleet of 96 Boeing 737 Next Generation jets. These planes are powered by CFM56-7B engines. The table below shows the specifications for the LEAP-1B engines that are involved in this MoU. It uses data provided by CFM International and the EASA type certificate data sheet.

Turkish Airlines also has LEAP-1B engines in its fleet already. This is because there are 79 737 MAX already in the Turkish Airlines and AJet fleets. The first 737 MAX 8 in the Turkish Airlines fleet arrived in December 2018.

The Deal Helps Fix An Engine Dispute

In mid-September, Simple Flying reported that Boeing had been working hard to salvage its deal with Turkish Airlines to sell 150 737 MAX. Disputes between CFM and Turkish Airlines had threatened the deal. The problems related to engine pricing, maintenance, and rising repair costs. Turkish Airlines had been seeking to become one of CFM's highest-tier maintenance partners.

This is now an ambition it appears to be on the way to realizing. This status will give Turkey's flag carrier priority when it comes to accessing repair technologies. The impetus for including this in a deal with CFM comes because of high repair costs and a combination of high spare parts prices and in-house maintenance backlogs for manufacturers. Its deal with CFM that has alleviated these issues goes further than just ensuring mutual benefit for Boeing, CFM International and Turkish Airlines.

The 737 MAX purchase was part of a wider 225 aircraft deal that included Boeing 787 aircraft. The deal came after a high-profile meeting between Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan and US President Donald Trump. Should Turkish Airlines have been forced to switch to Airbus for the narrowbody portion of the deal, it would represent a reversal of geopolitical magnitude.