Aviation Turkey: How do you assess the current state of the European commercial aviation market, and what key trends will shape Airbus’ strategy in the coming years? Looking ahead, what is your long-term vision for Airbus’ commercial aircraft business in Europe, and what role do you see Europe playing in the company’s global growth strategy?

Johan Pelissier:The European commercial aviation market is demonstrating strong resilience and a rapid return to pre-pandemic traffic levels. The key trends shaping Airbus's strategy are decarbonisation, fleet renewal, market consolidation where we see the formation of strategic alliances and operational efficiency. Airlines across Europe are keen to replace their previous generation, less fuel-efficient aircraft with new-generation models like the A220, A320neo and A350 families to meet the industry environmental targets and reduce operating costs. Our long-term vision is to be the leader in sustainable aerospace, with Europe at the forefront of this transformation. Europe is not just a market; it's our home base. It's where our industrial core, research and development, and key partnerships are centered. The region is set to continue to be a crucial engine for our global growth, pioneering the shift to sustainable aviation.

Aviation Turkey: How is Airbus leveraging digital technologies—such as data analytics, AI, and predictive maintenance—to create added value for its European customers?

Johan Pelissier: Airbus is leveraging digital technologies to create value for our customers primarily through our Skywise platform. Skywise is a data platform that allows airlines to connect their operational data with Airbus's engineering data. This enables advanced analytics for everything from predictive maintenance—allowing airlines to anticipate component failures and schedule repairs proactively—to optimising flight operations for fuel efficiency. AI and machine learning are embedded within Skywise to provide actionable insights, helping our customers improve their operational reliability, reduce costs, and enhance the passenger experience. This digital ecosystem where in total, 54% of the Airbus fleet is connected, is a crucial part of our service offering, ensuring our customers, in Europe and globally,  remain competitive and efficient.

 Aviation Turkey: Let's focus on Türkiye now. Can you elaborate on the current status of Turkish Airlines’ historic Airbus orders that placed in December 2023 and included 250 A321neo (150 firm + 100 optional) and a total of 105 A350 (60 A350-900, 15 A350-1000, 5 A350F; 25 optional) aircraft?

Johan Pelissier: The historic order from Turkish Airlines in December 2023 represents a monumental milestone for both companies. This significant fleet expansion aligns with Turkish Airlines' "2033 Strategy" to grow its fleet to over 800 aircraft. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in the coming years, with a key focus on the highly fuel-efficient A321neo to support the airline's single-aisle network and the A350 Family (including the A350-900, A350-1000, and A350F) to expand its long-haul capabilities and cargo operations. We are working closely with the airline on the delivery schedule and integration of these new aircraft into their fleet.

Looking at the future, it has now been confirmed that Turkish Airlines will use A350-1000s on non-stop routes from Istanbul to Asia Pacific, flying some of the longest routes in the world. The A350-900 and A350-1000 are the only large widebody aircraft capable of serving all major markets, and they use 25% less fuel than previous generation aircraft. 

We also see the A220 as a potential future opportunity, with 10+ European airlines and major airline groups having adopted the aircraft. It would fit well in the Turkish Airlines network.  

 Aviation Turkey: Pegasus Airlines has been an important Airbus partner, especially as an early adopter of the A321. How would you describe this partnership, and what role do you see Pegasus playing in Airbus’s future strategy in Türkiye?

Johan Pelissier: It is true Pegasus is a very important partner of Airbus. Pegasus has been a pioneer, they were launch operator for the A320neo powered by CFM engines in 2016, they were also a key partner during the covid pandemic, using the electronic acceptance of aircraft Another example of how important Pegasus is as a partner, the first ever aircraft delivered from the new Lagardère A321 Final Assembly Line in Toulouse in 2023 was an aircraft delivered to Pegasus. 

Pegasus can take pride in having the youngest fleet of aircraft in Türkiye and will be taking delivery of A321neo for several years into the future. All those aircraft need to be supported for many years to come. Airbus remains available to continue to support Pegasus.

 Aviation Turkey: SunExpress recently chose to continue its partnership with Boeing. How does Airbus plan to position itself with SunExpress moving forward, and do you see opportunities to collaborate in the future?

Johan Pelissier: While SunExpress has recently made a strategic decision to primarily operate a Boeing fleet, our relationship with the operator remains positive and open. We continue to see opportunities for collaboration, particularly in areas like aircraft leasing and services. Airbus maintains a strong presence in Türkiye, and we respect the operational choices of our airline partners. We believe our product portfolio, especially the A320neo Family, would offer unique advantages in efficiency and capacity to SunExpress operations. We will continue to engage with SunExpress and other airlines to demonstrate the value of our aircraft and services, and we remain confident that there will be opportunities for future collaboration.

 Aviation Turkey: In June 2025 Turkish cargo carrier MNG Airlines has signed an MoU for two Airbus A350F aircraft. What factors influenced MNG’s decision to add the A350F to its future fleet?

Johan Pelissier:The decision by MNG Airlines to sign an MoU for the A350F is a clear vote of confidence in the aircraft's next-generation capabilities. The main factors influencing their choice I believe are its superior efficiency, payload capacity, and environmental performance. The A350F is the only new-generation widebody freighter on the market, offering at least a 20% reduction in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions compared to the previous generation. Its large main deck cargo door and high payload capacity of up to 111 tons will enable MNG Airlines to expand its global network and carry a wider range of cargo, from e-commerce shipments to heavy industrial equipment, all while meeting modern environmental standards.

Aviation Turkey: In our previous interview you highlighted Türkiye’s importance with the Strategic Türkiye Enhancement Program (STEP) and long-standing supplier ecosystem. How does Airbus plan to further deepen industrial and technological cooperation with Turkish partners in the coming years?

Johan Pelissier: The Strategic Türkiye Enhancement Program (STEP), a collaboration with Turkish Airlines and Rolls-Royce, is a testament to our long-term commitment to Türkiye. Our plan is to deepen industrial and technological cooperation by focusing on STEP’s four main pillars; pillar one supports the development of the Turkish supply chain and the industrial capabilities of Turkish aviation and aerospace sector, pillar two supports Turkish Airlines and its group of companies’ growth ambitions and operations, pillar three supports the increase of the aviation sector’s skills base, and pillar four supports initiatives in the area of sustainability transformation. 

As one of our  major steps through the programme we are planning a “Turkiye Industry Day” in Toulouse in the beginning of November to gather Turkish suppliers and key industry partners with Airbus procurement society as well as Airbus international Tier 1 suppliers. 

Additionally, we will support the development of a highly skilled workforce through joint training programs and knowledge transfer. This will not only expand our supplier base but also contribute to the growth of Türkiye's aerospace sector and support our collective journey towards decarbonization.

Aviation Turkey: In our previous interview you mentioned that Airbus already reached €4,6 Billion in value with Turkish suppliers by 2023, with expectations to hit €8 Billion by 2030. What are the main drivers behind this growth? How significant is Türkiye within Airbus’s overall European supply chain strategy?

Johan Pelissier: The 4,6bn$ achievement is a collective achievement based on strong capabilities, capacities and competitiveness that the Turkish aerospace sector has been able to build over the past decades, highly supported by our former cooperation programme called Competitive Industrial programme (CIP). Continuing on those strong roots, we aim with our new cooperation programme STEP to maintain and grow the sourcing volumes in the country to support our ramp-up as well as offering new business opportunities. 

The future “Türkiye Industry Day” that we will organise in Toulouse in the beginning of November is a demonstration of our commitment to Türkiye to maximise opportunities to develop new business opportunities between the Türkiye aerospace sector and the Airbus ecosystem.

Aviation Turkey: Approximately how many people are employed directly and indirectly through Airbus activities in Türkiye? What future investments or expansions do you foresee in the country? 

Johan Pelissier: Airbus generates more than 3,000 direct jobs in the Turkish aeronautical industry (with an estimated more than 10,000 indirectly) and the accumulated volume spent by Airbus in Türkiye in the last 15 years reached $4.6 billion. Through its cooperation with Airbus, Türkiye has established a strong foothold in the aeronautics and space industries with European countries. 

For 40 years, Airbus has been an important solution partner for Türkiye working closely with commercial airlines but also the defence and security sector. Looking back into the past; Turkish Airlines first began operating the Airbus A310 in 1985 and the Turkish Air Force received the CN235 in 1991. Türkiye has been an integral part of Airbus supply chain for more than 20 years, being a partner in main Airbus programmes. Looking at the future and beyond commercial activity, we will continue to look at opportunities to reinforce our footprint and grow our activities in Türkiye especially in the defence and security sector.  Türkiye is also a strong partner on the A400M and will continue to be in the future. The MRTT has been selected by 12 NATO countries either through direct orders or through the successful Multinational Multi-Role Tanker Transport Fleet (MMF) solution. It is a platform that could meet Türkiye’s future needs and be an opportunity for further cooperation and further growth of our operations in the country