Terrorist attacks and economic challenges see Turkish Airlines defer orders for new jets

Istanbul-based Turkish Airlines has announced that it intends to defer 39 of its on-order narrow-body jets, citing the impact of terrorist attacks on leisure travel and the fall in oil prices negatively affecting corporate travel in the oil and gas sector.
While the Star Alliance member-airline has not given plane-specific details, it is understood that it has decided to reschedule delivery of 92 Airbus A321neos and 65 Boeing 737 MAX8s, together with 10 Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft which were expected to join the airline’s fleet between 2018 – 2022.
Where 2018 is concerned, the original order for 34 narrow-body aircraft has been reduced to 10, for 2019 the number is to be reduced from 40 to 35, and for 2020 it is 52 reduced to 42. The airline expects to receive 30 re-engined aircraft in 2022 and 15 in 2023.
The carrier took delivery of its 300th plane earlier this year and all those scheduled for delivery this year will still be accepted, which will include five Airbus A330-200s, seven A321s, one A330-200F, six Boeing 777-300ERs and 14 737-800s.
First half figures reported by Turkish Airlines revealed a net loss of TRY1.89 billion (US$610 million) which has seen a substantial reversal from the same period in 2015 which generated a net profit of TRY1.04 million (US$343 million).