CDB Aviation, a wholly-owned Irish subsidiary of China Development Bank Financial Leasing, signed new lease agreements for a fleet of an additional seven narrowbody and widebody aircraft with existing customer Turkish Airlines, the flag carrier of Türkiye.
Under the new agreements, one used Airbus A330-343 will be delivered in May to support the expansion of Turkish Airlines’ mainline international operations, while another six Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft will be delivered to the carrier’s newly established subsidiary, Ajet, between 2025 and 2026. The CFM International Leap-1B engine-powered MAX aircraft will be delivered from CDB Aviation’s existing orderbook with Boeing, bringing the total number of the lessor’s MAXs on lease to Turkish Airlines to 12.
“We are delighted to continue building upon a strong and long-term partnership with our valued customer, Turkish Airlines,” Jie Chen, CEO of CDB Aviation, said. “The 737 MAX 8 aircraft will contribute toward the airline’s stated goal for Ajet to become an important part of the low-cost aviation industry on a global scale, while the A330 will provide the increased capacity to support its ever-expanding global network.”
“As the airline that flies to more countries than any other with 130 countries, Turkish Airlines continues to strengthen its worldwide success story,” Levent Konukcu, chief investment and strategy officer at Turkish Airlines, said. “In order to contribute to this stunning expansion performance, we evaluate all possible options to feed our fleet. Along with the previous ones, we are glad to collaborate with CDB Aviation for these effective agreements again.”
With the addition of the aircraft, CDB Aviation will now have 17 aircraft on lease to Turkish Airlines, including 12 737 MAX 8s, one 737-800, one 777-300ER, one A321neo, one A320neo and one A330-343.
