Boeing Secures Record 103-Jet Order from Korean Air and Nears 150-Plane Deal with Turkish Airlines

SentiSense · Published Sep 15, 2026, 8:14 PM ET · Updated Sep 28, 2026, 2:45 AM ET

Korean Air placed a record 103-airplane Boeing order comprising 20 777-9s, 25 787-10s, 50 737-10s and 8 777-8 freighters, ahead of completing its Asiana Airlines merger on December 17, 2026. The Korea Times values the package at about $44.8 billion including roughly $8.6 billion of GE and CFM engines, though Boeing's own release carries no dollar figure. Twenty-five 787-10s are to be built in North Charleston, South Carolina. Separately, Boeing is reported close to signing Turkish Airlines' 150-jet 737 MAX order, stalled since a September 2025 conditional commitment over a CFM engine dispute.

Boeing announced on September 16, 2026 that Korean Air has placed a record 103-airplane order, the largest single aircraft purchase in the carrier's history. Boeing's own release details the composition: 20 777-9s, 25 787-10s, 50 737-10s and 8 777-8 freighters. The Korea Times puts the package at about $44.8 billion, split between roughly $36.2 billion of aircraft and $8.6 billion of GE and CFM engines; Boeing's release itself carries no dollar figure, and at least one trade outlet reports $44.6 billion instead, so treat the headline value as approximate.

The timing matters because Korean Air is in the final stretch of its merger with Asiana Airlines, a consolidation that has board and shareholder approval and is set to complete on December 17, 2026. Fleet orders of this size are how a merged carrier standardizes what it flies, and the mix here leans heavily on Boeing's newest types rather than on replacements for what Asiana already operates.

Twenty-five of the 787-10s are to be built at Boeing's North Charleston, South Carolina site, which is the detail with the most direct read-through to production planning: the 787 line has been the steadier half of Boeing's widebody business while the 777X program has slipped.

Separately, Reuters-sourced reporting says Boeing is close to signing Turkish Airlines' order for 150 737 MAX jets, a deal that grew out of a conditional commitment made in September 2025 and then stalled over a CFM engine dispute. Coverage describes the agreement as back on track and possibly signable within the week, though no source puts a value on it.

Together the two items speak to backlog rather than to near-term revenue. Neither order converts to cash until deliveries begin, and Boeing's delivery rate is the constraint it is currently struggling with. Investors in BA will be watching for the Turkish Airlines signature, the final Korean Air contract value, and whether the 777-9 delivery schedule that 20 of these jets depend on holds.