Turkish Airline Considers Largest Wide-Bodies as Demand Grows

Turkish Airlines is considering the addition of the largest wide-body airliners to its fleet to help support growth, with passengers flying on one of the fastest-expanding airlines set to reach 63 million this year.
The airline is looking at both the Airbus A380 and Boeing 747-8 super-jumbos, as well as the smaller Airbus A350 and A330neo, and Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner, Ahmet Bolat, deputy chief executive in charge of investments and technology of the Istanbul-based carrier, told reporters today.
“We are just working on such wide-body aircraft, depending on strategic plans, market conditions, and slot availability,” Bolat said in Istanbul. The airline doesn’t have a board decision on the fleet purchase for now, he said.
The carrier, which carried 54.7 million passengers in 2014, has expanded its global reach, serving more than 260 destinations, the most worldwide. This year, the airline will take delivery of 33 planes it has previously ordered, Bolat said, bringing its total to 300 “if the market conditions improve.”
The carrier is in talks with AerCap Holdings NV, a Dutch air leasing company, to dry-lease three A330-200 for delivery in April, May and June to keep up with growing passenger demand, Bolat said. The company also plans to add cargo aircraft to fleet this year, he said.
Comparison between Airbus A380 and Boeing 747-8
Capacity
Boeing 747-8: 467 passengers, in a three-class configuration
Airbus A380: 525 passengers, in a three-class configuration

Length
Boeing 747-8: 76 meters
Airbus A380: 72.72 meters
Internal cabin width
Boeing 747-8: 6.1 meters
Airbus A380: 6.54 meters
Price

Boeing 747-8: US$317.5 million
Airbus A380: US$375.3 million
Cruising speed
Boeing 747-8: Typical cruise speed at Mach 0.855, top cruise speed: Mach 0.86 (or 86 percent the speed of sound).
Airbus A380: Typical cruise speed at Mach 0.85 (from BBC), top cruise speed at Mach 0.88 (from Airliners.net)
Range
Boeing 747-8: 8,000 nautical miles
Airbus A380: 8,300 nautical miles

Wing span

Boeing 747-8: 68.5 meters
Airbus A380: 79.75 meters
Fuel efficiency
Boeing 747-8: 2.8 liters per seat per 100 kilometers
Airbus A380: 2.9 liters per passenger per 100 kilometers (from Nat Geo)
More… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2015-01-19/turkish-airline-considers-largest-wide-bodies-as-demand-grows.html

Photo:Duncan Stewart - LAX