Boeing and SunExpress have finalized an order for 15 737 MAX 8s and 25 Next-Generation 737-800 airplanes. The order, valued at more than $3.8 billion at list prices, also includes options for 10 additional 737 MAX 8s.
The order is the largest in the Turkish carrier’s near 25 year history, and brings the total number of orders to date for the 737 MAX to nearly 1,800.
“Twenty-four years ago we started to fly tourists to Turkey with brand-new 737-300s and ten years later the company began to operate the Next-Generation 737-800s. Next year at the age of 25, SunExpress will start the process of renewing its entire fleet and in the future add the latest achievement of Boeing, the 737 MAX,” said Paul Schwaiger, managing director of SunExpress, in a press release. “We value our long and successful relationship with Boeing and we are grateful for the company’s endless support over so many years.”
The 737 MAX, assembled in Renton, builds on the success of the Next-Generation 737 – retaining efficiency, economics, reliability and passenger appeal that make this family of airplanes the market leader. The 737 MAX incorporates the latest technology CFM International LEAP-1B engines with aerodynamic improvements such as new Advanced Technology winglets to deliver a 14 percent fuel-efficiency improvement over today’s most fuel efficient single-aisle airplanes. At longer ranges, the improvement will be even greater, perfectly complementing SunExpress’ future growth.
“As an all-Boeing operator, SunExpress has built its quarter-century of success on the Next-Generation 737,” said Todd Nelp, vice president of European Sales, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “Today’s record-order for additional Next-Generation 737s is testament to the value of these airplanes bring to SunExpress’ fleet, while the purchase of the 737 MAX lays the foundation for the carrier’s ambitious growth in the years ahead.”
Along with superior operating economics, the passenger-preferred 737 Boeing Sky Interior will also come standard on the MAX. Drawing from years of research inspired by the travel experience, the 737 Boeing Sky Interior features modern-sculpted sidewalls and appealing features reveals that draw passenger eyes to the airplane’s windows, giving passengers a greater connection to the flying experience.
“With our order of up to 50 new 737 aircraft – including the ten options – we have realized an important milestone for the future of SunExpress,” said Haci Say, deputy managing director of SunExpress. “Our company has always been a vital part of the travel trade between Turkey and the source markets of Turkish tourism. With this enormous investment SunExpress underlines its strong position among Europe’s leading holiday airlines. We are happy to grow even stronger with the help of new Boeing aircraft which perfectly suit our business model.”
Based in Antalya on the Turkish Rivera, SunExpress was founded in October 1989 as a subsidiary of Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa. Today, SunExpress carries more than seven million passengers per year and is one of the leading airlines in terms of passenger numbers between Germany and Turkey. The carrier operates an all-Boeing fleet of more than 60 Next-Generation 737-700s and 737-800s and serves more than 90 destinations across Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.
