Onur Air ordered five MD-88 twin jets in October 1995. The airline is scheduled to receive its third aircraft later this week. Deliveries are also scheduled for the end of this month and in late June.

"We are pleased to add the MD-88 to our fleet," said H. Cankut Bagana, chairman of Ten Tour and president of Onur Air. "The aircraft's outstanding track record as the workhorse of the industry makes the MD-88 a perfect choice for our charter operations."

"The aircraft's high reliability and excellent operating economics were important considerations in Onur Air's choice of the MD-88," said Don Black, vice president-general manager of sales and marketing for Douglas Aircraft Co., the commercial jetliner division of McDonnell Douglas. "And we look forward to many years of an extremely productive relationship with our friends here at Onur Air."

Onur Air plans to fly the intermediate range jetliners on routes between Turkey and destinations in western Europe and the eastern Mediterranean. The airline will operate the aircraft in a charter configuration, featuring 172 seats in the traditional, passenger-preferred McDonnell Douglas five-across seat rows.

Ten Tour, the parent company of Onur Air, owns resorts, hotels and other transportation holdings, and has a substantial share of the tourism market throughout Europe and the Middle East.

The MD-88 is one of five aircraft models in the MD-80 family, which also includes the MD-81, MD-82, MD-83 and MD-87. The wingspan for all models is 107 feet, 10 inches (32.86 meters). The MD-88, MD-81, MD-82, and MD-83 are 147 feet, 10 inches (45.05 meters) long and accommodate up to 172 passengers. A fifth model, the MD-87, is 130.4 feet (39.7 meters) in length, with a maximum passenger capacity of 139. All MD-80s are powered by two Pratt & Whitney JT8D-200 series turbofan engines.