Boeing (BA.US) was put on hold by Turkish Airlines due to GE Aviation (GE.US) negotiations.
1min read Orders for more than 200 Boeing (BA.US) aircraft by Turkish Airlines have been delayed because of a dispute over maintenance costs with GE Aviation (GE.US), the airline's chairman Ahmet Bolat said at the Farnborough Air Show.
Bolat, who spoke on Tuesday, said the company was pressing GE Aviation to reduce maintenance costs. "Once they act, we will sign the contract," he said.
Turkish Airlines, which has pledged to buy 230 Airbus aircraft as part of a plan to cement its position as a global aviation power, has been publicly stating for months that it hopes to place large orders with Boeing because it aims to double its fleet in the next decade.
Turkish Airlines hopes to buy as many as 175 Boeing 737 Max aircraft, with the rest in larger 787 Dreamliner models.
Bolat said on Monday at a panel discussion that he had met with GE Aviation counterparts at Farnborough and that they were close to a deal but would not announce orders at the show.
Bolat said Turkey was still seeking to expand its capacity and would use old aircraft until new ones were delivered.