Turkish orders A320-family aircraft

Turkish Airlines has signed a firm order for 20 Airbus A320-family aircraft that will be used to expand domestic and regional routes.

The order is for a mix of A319s and A321s, with exact numbers of each yet to be finalised. The aircraft are scheduled for delivery from 2011 onwards.

This new order brings the total number of Airbus aircraft ordered by the airline in 2009 to 36, including four A321s, 10 A330-300s and two A330-200Fs.

‘The high reliability and low operating costs of our A320 fleet have been a key factor in our success so far and we see the aircraft as an integral part of our expansion plans,’ said Hamdi Topcu, chairman of Turkish Airlines.

According to Airbus, more than 6,400 A320-family aircraft have been sold and more than 4,000 delivered to around 300 customers and operators worldwide.