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Turkish Airlines has reached an agreement with Boeing over compensation for the financial impact relating to the grounding of the 737 Max. The carrier is intending to introduce 75 Max jets to its fleet, comprising 65 Max 8s and 10 of the larger Max 9. But while it has received 12 of the re-engined aircraft, deliveries have been held up by the worldwide grounding of the type in March. Turkish Airlines has revealed that it “came to an agreement” with Boeing concerning “compensation for certain losses” caused by the grounding as well as the non-delivery of 737 Max aircraft. It has not disclosed the extent or nature of the compensation, nor whether the agreement is a final or interim arrangement. Turkish Airlines’ latest fleet plan shows the airline aims to have 48 Max jets in its fleet, including the 10 Max 9s, by the end of 2020. <br/>

The Centre will issue an expression of interest for the privatisation of debt-ridden Air India “in a matter of weeks", civil aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri said Tuesday. In November, the minister had told Parliament that the carrier might have to shut down if it was not privatised. However, at a press conference Tuesday, Puri said the airline won’t be shut down and exuded confidence that investor response would be favourable, considering Air India’s robust service network on domestic and international routes, besides its strong brand recall. “Air India is a national asset. The Maharaja is a great brand, owns 120 aircraft, half of which are owned and the rest leased.… We want an Indian entity to acquire it for strategic objectives," he said. <br/>