Turkish Airlines has ordered four 777 freighter aircraft to help meet growth expectations for the world’s seventh-largest cargo airline by traffic carried, Boeing (NYSE: BA) announced on Tuesday.
When the deliveries are completed, Turkish Cargo will operate 12 777 cargo jets. The announcement did not provide a delivery schedule.
Turkish Airlines said it is responding to rising demand for shipping e-commerce and other goods, as well as increased customer interest in utilizing freighters because of the greater schedule reliability and capacity over passenger aircraft. Although there is a glut of narrowbody freighters in the market, widebody freighter capacity is tight in key markets, especially out of Asia.
In December, Turkish Airlines committed to buying five large A350 freighters from Airbus. The A350 freighter is a new aircraft type that Airbus plans to start delivering in 2026.
Turkish Airlines is a combination carrier that moves cargo with passenger aircraft and dedicated freighters. The freighter fleet consists of eight Boeing 777-200s, 12 Airbus A330-200s and five leased aircraft, including two Boeing 747-400s and three A310-300s. Cargo revenue fell to $2.6 billion last year from $3.7 billion in 2022, but the air cargo market is in the midst of a strong recovery that has seen first-half volumes increase more than 11% year over year.
“This new investment in expanding our cargo fleet underscores our commitment to meeting the growing global demand for air freight services,” said Turkish Airlines Chief Cargo Officer Ali Türk. “The addition of these Boeing 777 Freighters will not only enhance our operational capabilities, but also serve as another step in our strategic vision to reach the top of the air cargo sector worldwide while maintaining our … unparalleled service and efficiency for our customers across the globe.”
Turkish Airlines is leveraging its hub location in Istanbul as a central location for connecting cargo moving between Asia and Europe, and to other global destinations.
The 777 freighter has a maximum payload of 112 tons and a range of 4,970 nautical miles. Boeing has delivered more than 265 777 freighters, making it the company’s best-selling freighter aircraft.
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