Turkish Airlines orders 15 Airbus A-330 widebody jetliners for long-haul trans-Atlantic and East Asia routes

TOULOUSE, France, 14 Oct. 2012. Turkish Airlines in Istanbul, the flag carrier of Turkey, is ordering 15 Airbus A330-300 widebody jetliners in the airline's seventh order for the A330 family, Airbus officials say.

Turkish will operate the aircraft on medium- and long-haul routes from the Turkish Airlines hub at Atatürk International Airport in Istanbul. The A330 family spans 250 to 300 seats and includes freighter, VIP, and military transport/tanker variants, with maximum ranges of more than 4,000 nautical miles.

“The new order will allow us to continue our strategy of growth and fleet renewal with an aircraft we know to be both reliable and profitable,” says Turkish CEO Temel Kotil.

The A330 family has attracted more than 1,200 orders, with around 900 aircraft flying with some 90 operators worldwide, Airbus officials say. Airbus did not disclose the dollar value of the order.

The 300-seat A330-300 is designed for long-haul trans-oceanic flights, and competes directly in the this passenger aircraft market with the Boeing 777. It has digital fly-by-wire flight controls, uses the ARINC-429 avionics databus, a high-efficiency wing, and LED cabin lighting.

The A330-300 has a secure flight crew location next to the cockpit that accommodates one or two bunks, as well as a pallet-mounted rest area with as many as seven bunks for cabin personnel.

The Airbus A330-300 is considered to be a mid-size widebody passenger jet. It is 209 feet long, 55 feet tall, and has a wingspan of 198 feet. Airbus has received 557 total orders for the A330-300, delivered 396, and has 394 in operation.

For more information contact Airbus online at www.airbus.com, or Turkish Airlines at www.turkishairlines.com.

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