The boss of Turkish holiday airline SunExpress has expressed dissatisfaction with the speed of delivery of new aircraft.
Speaking to Aviation Business News at an event to mark 35 years of the carrier, CEO Max Kownatzki said bluntly: “We’re not happy with the delivery schedule… and you can quote me on that if you want”.
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Mr. Kownatzki said that a lack of aircraft being delivered to a carrier that relies on seasonal tourism for its expansion plans is ‘a pretty big blow’, although he added that his airlines had backfilled and extended operating leases to ensure it has the capacity needed for the summer season.
He said that he had met with representatives of the airframer at the same event where he had ‘pushed them quite hard’ on the issue. He also said that he and his team are also due to meet Boeing management in Seattle next week to investigate ways to ‘mitigate’ this delivery schedule.
“Would we like Boeing to step up the delivery process? Yes, for sure,” he said.
“As you know, Boeing planned an output of about 64 Boeing 737s per month. There’s currently a cap in place of 38 aircraft. This cap by the FAA is also upheld by the new FAA administrator under the Trump administration, so there’s no movement on this, but right now they are not even close to the 38 unit cap, output is in the twenties.
The airline currently has orders for 53 737 MAX-8 and 17 MAX-10 aircraft with options for 45 additional planes. Kownatzki said that they have been delighted with the aircraft once they arrive.
“We are very happy with the aircraft and we have a trustful relationship with Boeing itself, so we’re in good terms with a very open dialogue and communication with Boeing on this topic”, he concluded.
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