SunExpress Orders Additional 10 Boeing 737 Max 8 Airplanes

By IndraStra Global News Team

By IndraStra Global News Team

Image Attribute: SunExpress' Boeing 737 Max 8 (3D Rendering by Boeing)

On November 18, 2018,  at the Dubai Airshow and amid ongoing 737 Max 8 crisis, a Turkey-based leisure carrier SunExpress has expressed its confidence in 737 Max 8 by exercising options for 10 additional Boeing 737 MAX 8 airplanes. The order is valued at US$ 1.2 billion at list prices and follows a previous order for 32 of the airplanes.

SunExpress, Antalya-head quartered airline (which is a joint-venture between Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines) has been operating the largest fleet in its history, with 84 aircraft serving approx. 100 destinations — throughout Europe and vacation spots around the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. 

The airline has achieved significant growth in recent years as it steadily expanded its fleet of mainly Boeing 737 airplanes.  Last year itself, SunExpress' passenger count climbed to nearly 10 million.

"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," says 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."

"We are honored and humbled by the trust that SunExpress has placed in our team at Boeing. They have been a wonderful partner over the years, demonstrating every day the efficiency and reliability of the Boeing 737 across their growing network," 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."

According to Boeing's company statement, "The 737 MAX 8 is part of a family of airplanes that offer 130 to 230 seats and the ability to fly up to 3,850 nautical miles (7,130 kilometers). With improvements such as the CFM International LEAP-1B engine and Advanced Technology winglets, the 737 MAX provides operators a 14% improvement over today's most efficient single-aisle airplanes and extended range to open up new destinations."