Aysu Biçer
16 December 2023•Update: 16 December 2023
LONDON
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak welcomed a landmark deal Friday between Turkish Airlines, Airbus and Rolls-Royce.
"By strengthening trade ties with growing economic powers like Türkiye, we will ensure UK businesses remain at the forefront of global growth," said Sunak.
The agreement, announced in Istanbul, involves the delivery of 220 aircraft for Turkish Airlines, including 70 powered by Rolls-Royce.
According to a statement by the UK government, the deal will support thousands of highly-skilled manufacturing jobs across the UK, with aircraft wings and engines produced in the UK.
"This landmark deal between Turkish Airlines, Airbus and Rolls-Royce demonstrates that the sky’s the limit for the UK’s thriving aerospace sector," Sunak said in a statement.
"The UK is already a top investment destination, and by strengthening trade ties with growing economic powers like Türkiyr we will ensure UK businesses remain at the forefront of global growth and innovation as we build on the record-breaking Global Investment Summit we hosted in London last month," he said.
The deal comprises 150 A321 and 70 A350 family aircraft, with engines for the latter to be supplied by Rolls-Royce.
A noteworthy aspect of the collaboration is the substantial involvement of the UK in the manufacturing process.
Filton, Bristol, will serve as the hub for designing all wings, while assembly will take place in North Wales, thus creating a ripple effect across the UK aerospace supply chain, supporting hundreds of manufacturing jobs.
"Today’s announcement marks an exciting and truly historic day for Rolls-Royce. It is proof that the actions we are taking to transform Rolls-Royce into a high performing and competitive company underpinned by profitable growth are working," said Rolls-Royce plc CEO Tufan Erginbilgic in a statement.
"Türkiye is a strategically important market for us, and it is imperative to develop long-term partnerships with the airline and other important Turkish stakeholders," he said. “We look forward to working with Turkish Airlines as they continue to connect their passengers across global communities and cultures.”
