By Ebru Tuncay
ISTANBUL (Reuters) -Turkish Airlines will meet with Boeing and engine supplier CFM in the coming weeks to decide on a planned deal for a major 737 MAX jet order, Chairman Ahmet Bolat said on Wednesday.
Turkish Airlines said in September that it would order 75 Boeing 787 aircraft and had completed negotiations to buy 150 737 MAX planes, subject to engine talks, in a long-awaited deal coinciding with a meeting between the two countries’ leaders.
Bolat then said last month that Turkish Airlines could switch the 737 order to rival Airbus if talks with CFM failed to make progress.
“Those talks are ongoing. We’ll probably have Boeing and the engine manufacturer sitting down together in a few weeks. We’ll ask, ‘Are you in or out?’ If not, we’ll turn another page,” Bolat said in an interview.
Bolat said details on a possible investment to set up an engine maintenance centre in Turkey were also being discussed as part of the negotiations.
Transatlantic venture CFM International, co-owned by GE Aerospace and Safran, is the sole engine supplier for the Boeing 737 MAX and competes with RTX unit Pratt & Whitney for airline contracts for the Airbus A320neo family.
A spate of engine shortages and growing maintenance delays has driven up engine parts prices and led to growing discord between suppliers and airlines across the industry.
Airlines globally have voiced frustration over the disruption, including Turkish Airlines, which is facing delays linked to Pratt & Whitney engines on its existing Airbus fleet.
Bolat also said that Turkish Airlines’ minority stake purchase in Spain’s Air Europa is almost complete, adding that the flag carrier is looking into opportunities in Asia, North and South America as well as other regions.
“Of course, could we have such a partner in Asia? We’re working on this through a joint venture or share acquisition. Our discussions in Asia are ongoing,” Bolat said.
Earlier this year, Turkish Airlines agreed to invest 300 million euros in convertible debt, equivalent to a stake of 25-27% in Air Europa, outlasting European rivals Lufthansa and Air France-KLM.
(Reporting by Ebru Tuncay; Writing by Ezgi Erkoyun; Editing by Daren Butler and Kim Coghill)
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