Boeing Said to Near Revived 150-Jet 737 MAX Deal With Turkish Airlines After Engine-Maintenance Dispute

Boeing is nearing an agreement to sell 150 737 MAX jets to Turkish Airlines after a dispute over engine maintenance had delayed the order, Reuters reported on Sept. 15, 2026, citing people familiar with the negotiations, according to Seeking Alpha's relay of the Reuters report. A separate write-up carried by TradingView framed the development as Boeing "salvaging" a delayed order, though the full text of that account was not accessible for this article.

What Reuters Reported

The accessible excerpt of the Reuters report says the purchase is "part of a broader" transaction, but the passage ends before describing what else the broader arrangement includes. No further detail on aircraft mix, delivery timing, financing terms or engine selection appears in the accessible reporting.

Notably, no comment from Boeing, Turkish Airlines or any engine maker is contained in the accessible reporting, and the accessible material does not address whether board or regulatory approval is still pending. Readers should treat the near-deal characterization as sourced to unnamed people described by Reuters as familiar with the negotiations, not as an on-the-record confirmation from either company.

A Deal With a Long History

The 150-jet figure lines up with a commitment Boeing and Turkish Airlines already announced roughly a year earlier. On Sept. 25, 2025, the airline declared its intent to purchase up to 150 more 737 MAX airplanes, which Boeing described at the time as set to become the carrier's largest Boeing single-aisle order once finalized, according to a Boeing newsroom release. That same announcement paired the MAX commitment with an order for up to 75 Boeing 787 Dreamliners, and Boeing said the combined 787 and 737 MAX orders would double Turkish Airlines' Boeing fleet, which the manufacturer said at the time comprised more than 200 Boeing jets, including 787-9, 777, 737 MAX, Next-Generation 737 and 777 Freighter aircraft.

The MAX order also has roots in a much larger ambition. Turkish Airlines has been in talks with Boeing since at least mid-2023, when it first floated a potential 600-aircraft mega-order to be split between Boeing and Airbus, according to ch-aviation, which cited comments from a Turkish Airlines executive named Eksi that the carrier aimed to purchase around 300 jets from Boeing, including 737-8s and 787s. That February 2025 report described a six-month delay to the order, though the accessible material does not specify whether that earlier delay is the same engine-maintenance dispute Reuters referenced in its latest report.

Why the Order Matters to Turkish Airlines' Fleet Plans

Boeing's September 2025 release quoted the airline tying the aircraft directly to its long-term growth target. Turkish Airlines' chairman said the addition of the advanced Boeing aircraft would "become a significant element supporting Turkish Airlines' 2033 Vision of expanding our fleet to 800 aircraft." Ch-aviation reported that the flag carrier plans to double its fleet to 800 aircraft by 2033 as part of its "100th Anniversary Strategy," and that delivery delays from both Boeing and Airbus may hinder that goal, prompting the airline to lease more aircraft in the meantime, per Eksi's comments to the outlet.

What Isn't Yet Confirmed

Several of the specifics that would typically accompany a finalized jet order are absent from the accessible reporting. There is no confirmed delivery schedule, no confirmed engine selection outcome, and no confirmed pricing or financing structure tied to this particular 150-jet tranche. The accessible material also does not establish whether this represents the formal contractual conversion of the intent announced in September 2025 or a renegotiated version of it. Treating it as simply the same order moving to signature is an inference rather than a confirmed fact, since the Reuters excerpt does not make that linkage explicit.

Bottom Line

Reuters reports, through unnamed sources, that Boeing is close to finalizing a 150-jet 737 MAX order with Turkish Airlines that had been held up by a dispute over engine maintenance. The figure matches a commitment the two companies already announced in September 2025 alongside a Dreamliner order that Boeing said would double the airline's Boeing fleet, and it fits into Turkish Airlines' publicly stated goal of reaching an 800-aircraft fleet by 2033. What remains unconfirmed in the reporting available is the delivery timeframe, the engine outcome, and whether Boeing, Turkish Airlines or the engine makers have offered any on-the-record confirmation of the deal Reuters describes as near completion.