Turkish Airlines and CFM International signed a memorandum of understanding in Istanbul on 16 October 2026 covering the purchase of more than 300 LEAP-1B engines, including spares, to power the airline’s newest Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. A linked long-term services package will cover the carrier group’s entire LEAP-1B fleet — more than 600 engines in total — and support a planned engine maintenance centre at Turkish Technic.
The MoU was announced the same day by Safran, one of CFM’s two parent companies, and confirmed in a statement from Turkish Airlines’ communications office carried by Anadolu Agency. CFM is the 50/50 joint venture between GE Aerospace and Safran Aircraft Engines that builds the LEAP family and supports the older CFM56 fleet.
What the MoU covers
- New engines: more than 300 LEAP-1B engines, including spares, for up to 150 Boeing 737 MAX jets (100 firm orders and 50 options announced on 23 September 2026)
- Services: a long-term services agreement covering Turkish Airlines’ and AJet’s entire LEAP-1B fleet of more than 600 engines, including previously ordered and delivered engines, spares, engines on leased aircraft, and potential options
- MRO: a material services agreement with Turkish Technic to support establishing an engine maintenance, repair and overhaul facility in Türkiye
Neither side disclosed the financial value of the arrangements, the MRO site’s location, or when the shop is expected to open. The agreement remains at MoU stage; definitive contracts still have to be finalised.
Who signed it
The ceremony in Istanbul was signed by Prof. Murat Şeker, chairman of the board and the executive committee of Turkish Airlines; Mikail Akbulut, CEO and board member of Turkish Technic; and Olivier Andriès, CEO of Safran. GE Aerospace chairman and CEO H. Lawrence Culp, Jr. also commented on the deal in the Safran release.
Şeker said the step with CFM would support the airline’s growing fleet, network and operational efficiency, and would help develop LEAP MRO capabilities with a long-standing partner. Akbulut said Turkish Technic would continue to invest in engine maintenance alongside its aircraft and component work. Andriès called the MoU a new milestone in a relationship of nearly four decades and pointed to CFM’s open MRO ecosystem. Culp said CFM took seriously the trust Turkish Airlines places in LEAP engines for Istanbul network growth and engine MRO capability.
Fleet context
According to the Safran statement, Turkish Airlines currently operates 96 Boeing 737 Next Generation aircraft with CFM56-7B engines (including the AJet fleet) and 79 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft powered by LEAP-1B (again including AJet). The September 2026 MAX commitment — 100 firm plus 50 options — is the block this engine MoU is meant to power.
Star Alliance member Turkish Airlines says it flies a combined passenger and cargo fleet of 569 aircraft to 358 destinations in 133 countries. Locking in engines and support for the next wave of MAX deliveries matters because narrowbody production slots and aftermarket capacity remain tight industry-wide.
For Turkish Technic, the material services piece is intended to build advanced LEAP module and component repair capability in Türkiye, improve long-term maintenance cost predictability for the home fleet, and open a path to third-party engine MRO work. Exact timelines for that shop were not published with the MoU.
Sources: Safran / CFM International press release, Anadolu Agency (Turkish Airlines communications), AVIATOR.
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