Turkish Airlines and CFM International signed a memorandum of understanding Friday for the purchase of more than 300 aircraft engines and long-term maintenance services covering a fleet of over 600 engines, the companies announced.
The new engines, including spares, will power up to 150 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft under an order announced in late September comprising 100 firm orders and 50 options, according to a press release.
The service agreement will cover the entire LEAP-1B engine fleet of Turkish Airlines and its subsidiary AJet, including engines previously ordered or delivered, spare engines, those powering leased aircraft and potential options.
The memorandum also includes a material services agreement supporting the establishment of an engine maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility in Türkiye.
The agreement was signed at a ceremony in Istanbul by Turkish Airlines Chairman Murat Seker, Turkish Technic CEO Mikail Akbulut and Olivier Andries, CEO of Safran, one of CFM’s two parent companies.
Seker said the agreement would support the airline’s expanding fleet, flight network and operational efficiency.
“We are pleased to strengthen our partnership with CFM, with whom we have worked for many years, through a comprehensive service package,” he said.
“This cooperation will provide the expertise, reliability and support needed to develop our maintenance, repair and overhaul capabilities for LEAP engines,” he added.
Akbulut said Turkish Technic would expand its engine maintenance capabilities by providing comprehensive services for LEAP engines, while continuing investments alongside its established aircraft and component maintenance operations.
Andries described the agreement as another milestone in a partnership spanning nearly four decades, saying it would support Turkish Airlines’ growth and fleet expansion.
GE Aerospace Chairman and CEO H. Lawrence Culp Jr. said the cooperation would support the expansion of the airline’s Istanbul-based network and the development of its engine maintenance capabilities.
Including AJet’s fleet, Turkish Airlines currently operates 96 Boeing 737 Next Generation aircraft powered by CFM56-7B engines and 79 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft equipped with LEAP-1B engines.
CFM has delivered more than 10,000 LEAP engines since the engine family entered service a decade ago, with the fleet accumulating over 100 million flight hours, the statement said.