Boeing and Turkish Airlines close to resolving 737 MAX order dispute

Boeing is close to finalising an agreement covering Turkish Airlines' purchase of up to 150 737 MAX aircraft, after a disagreement over engine maintenance work threatened to end the deal. The order could be signed within a week, according to people familiar with the talks cited in the report.

At the centre of the dispute are servicing arrangements with CFM International, the engine manufacturer owned jointly by GE Aerospace and Safran. Turkish Airlines had indicated it might cancel the purchase and buy from Airbus instead. Boeing and CFM declined to comment, and Turkish Airlines did not respond to a request for comment.

The MAX portion forms part of a larger package of up to 225 Boeing aircraft announced in September 2025, after a meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and US President Donald Trump. That plan set out 100 firm orders for 737 MAX jets and options on a further 50, and completion depended on reaching terms with CFM. The aircraft involved are the 737-8 and the larger 737-10. Because options are included, the 150 figure does not represent 150 firm orders. Boeing called the commitment Turkish Airlines' largest single-aisle purchase from the manufacturer, once completed.

The wider agreement also covered 50 firm 787 orders — 35 787-9s and 15 787-10s — with options on another 25 Dreamliners. The 787-10 would be new to the carrier's fleet. Boeing said the larger model would add passenger and cargo capacity on busy services to the United States, Africa, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Turkish Airlines was operating more than 200 Boeing aircraft at the time of the announcement, among them 737s, 777s and 787-9s. According to Boeing, the combined purchases including options would double the airline's Boeing fleet.