Turkiye’s flag carrier Turkish Airlines has unveiled a new initiative with Airbus and Rolls-Royce in a bid to strengthen Turkiye’s role in the aerospace industry.
Unveiled at a meeting at Turkish Airlines headquarters in Istanbul the new initiative, known as Strategic Türkiye Enhanced Programme (STEP), will create highly skilled jobs in the country and help foster innovation in the aerospace sector.
The three companies will cooperate on all aspects of the airliners and engines bolstered by large orders by Turkish Airlines for Airbus aircraft using Rolls-Royce engines.
Prof. Ahmet Bolat, Turkish Airlines’ Chairman of the Board and the Executive Committee, said: “Launching STEP with Airbus is a testament to our deepening collaboration with the aircraft manufacturer. It marks our commitment to helping develop Turkish aviation companies into prospective suppliers, aligning closely with Airbus’ strategic objectives and their newly identified business domains.
“We are also delighted to further strengthen our relationship with Rolls-Royce. By joining forces with the manufacturing giants, we underscore our commitment to both excellence and the further development of Türkiye’s aerospace capabilities.
“With the significant cooperation between three valuable companies, Turkish Airlines will continue to leverage advanced technologies and collaborative strategies to enhance our operational efficiencies and contribute to continuing our sustainable growth while reinforcing our leading role on the global aviation stage.”
Turkish Airlines is also exploring more opportunities with Rolls-Royce for Maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facilities in the country.
Tufan Erginbilgiç, Rolls-Royce CEO, said: “Türkiye is a strategically important market for Rolls-Royce across our business. We are very pleased with the confidence that Turkish Airlines has placed in our Trent XWB engines. We now look forward to working with Turkish Airlines and our partners to use our extensive aerospace engineering experience to benefit the Turkish economy, grow the country’s skills base and expand its role in the energy transition.”
Guillaume Faury, Airbus CEO, added: “We are honoured to support the growth of one of the world‘s elite airlines and develop our partnership with Türkiye through the new STEP programme. The programme will provide the framework for Airbus to further broaden its collaboration with Türkiye and to support Turkish Airlines’ growth ambitions, with a particular focus on supply chain development, skills and sustainability.”
Last year, Turkish Airlines announced an historic order for 150 Airbus A321neo and 80 Airbus A350 aircraft making the airline the worlds largest operator of Rolls-Royce’s Trent XWB engine.
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