Turkish Airlines (TK, Istanbul Atatürk/Yesilköy International (IST)) has finalized a previously-announced firm order for ninety-five aircraft placed with US manufacturer, Boeing (BOE, Chicago O'Hare International (ORD)). The deal, valued at USD6.9billion, consists of forty Boeing 737 MAX-8s, ten Boeing 737 MAX-9s and twenty B737-800s, with options for an additional twenty-five Boeing 737 MAX-8s. Delivery of the aircraft is due to be phased over five years starting in 2016 and ending in 2021. The order is Turkish's largest ever placed with Boeing.

Turkish Airlines (TK, Istanbul Atatürk/Yesilköy International (IST)) has been approached by the Democratic Republic of the Congo's government over the possible setting up of a joint-partnership national airline to replace the now bankrupt LAC - Lignes Aériennes Congolaises (4V, Kinshasa N'Djili International (FIH)). According to Congo's Radio Okapi, a team of Congolese functionaries are due in Istanbul before the end of the month to discuss a possible deal with the Turks, who have yet to confirm their interest in the venture. Kinshasa had previously set June as the planned date for the launch of the renewed national airline. Earlier this year, Congolese Minister for Transport, Justin Kalumba, said the airline's launch, coupled with a renewed infrastructural upgrade programme, would help improve the overall efficiency and safety of Congo's skies.

LOT Polish Airlines (LO, Warsaw Fryderyk Chopin (WAW)) has taken one step closer towards complete privatization after the Polish parliament, on Friday, May 10, approved an amendment to an existing law which stipulates that Government must own no less than 51% in the national carrier. LOT's current overseer, the State Treasury of Poland, has welcomed the move seen as sweetening the prospect of a total acquisition of the ailing airline, which has so far caught the eyes of Turkish Airlines (TK, Istanbul Atatürk/Yesilköy International (IST)) and Norwegian (DY, Oslo Gardermoen (OSL)) most recently.

Turkish Airlines (TK, Istanbul Atatürk/Yesilköy International (IST)) has moved to retire its last B737-400 from service with TC-JDT (now registered N286AL, msn 25261) having been ferried from Istanbul Atatürk/Yesilköy International (IST) to Miami International (MIA) via Shannon International (SNN) and Portsmouth Pease International (PSM) for return to its owner Air Lease Corporation. Turkish's B737 fleet now consists of fourteen B737-700s, sixty-eight B737-800s and ten B737-900(ER)s.

Turkish Airlines (TK, Istanbul Atatürk/Yesilköy International (IST)) has given no definitive answer to questions regarding its future long-haul fleet intentions. In a Q&A session held last week, company CEO, Temel Kotil which has since been suspended by THY's board of directors, said Turkish "would look at" both the Boeing (BOE, Chicago O'Hare International (ORD)) 777X and the A350-1000 as possibilities, but declined to give an exact response. Similar answers regarding the possibility of A380-800 and B747-8 orders have also been given. Turkish, has in the past, tended to split its aircraft orders with the most recent example being two significant orders placed with both Boeing and Airbus for the airline's short and medium haul fleet.