Gregory Polek has spent his entire career in aviation journalism with AIN, starting as a proofreader and assistant to then-managing editor Mary Mahoney in 1995 after serving an internship with&nbsp;New Jersey Monthly&nbsp;magazine and completing his B.A. degree in English/Writing at New Jersey’s William Paterson College. By 1997 Polek accepted a position as an associate editor, covering the regional airline beat for&nbsp;Aviation International News&nbsp;in place of retiring industry veteran Don Anderson. The assignment took Polek across North America and Europe to profile regional airlines varying in size and mission from the likes of floatplane operators Kenmore Air and Chalk’s Ocean Airways to regional jet operators such as SkyWest and American Eagle. Today, in his dual role as Air Transport Editor and International Airshow Editor, Polek writes, edits, and manages AIN’s commercial aviation content while overseeing each of the company’s daily international air show publications in Paris, Farnborough, Singapore, and Dubai. Most recently Polek has assumed oversight of daily coverage of the Helicopter Association International’s annual Heli-Expo convention.

Senior Editor

Gregory Polek

Airbus has landed a firm order for 58 A320neos and 17 A321neos from Turkey’s Pegasus Airlines, the manufacturer announced Tuesday. Pegasus, the second largest airline in Turkey, also reserved options on 25 more of the re-engined narrowbodies. The contract establishes Pegasus as a new Airbus customer and makes it the first Turkish airline to order the A320neo. It now flies more than 40 Boeing 737-800s.


Announced during a ceremony attended by representatives from the Turkish government, the airline and Airbus, the deal also marks the largest single commercial aircraft order ever placed by an airline in Turkey.


Pegasus has ordered the new aircraft equipped with an all-economy, 180-seat layout in the A320neo and in a single-class, 220-seat configuration in the A321neo. The airline plans to deploy them from Istanbul to destinations in Turkey, Europe and the Middle East.


The Pegasus deal comes less than a week after <a href="http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/2012-12-13/airasia-orders-100-more-a320s">AirAsia placed a new order with Airbus for 100 more A320-family narrowbodies</a>. That contract covers another 64 A320neos and 36 current-generation A320s, raising Air Asia’s single-aisle order count from Airbus to 475. Airbus has already sent the airline—its largest A320 customer—more than 100 of the airplanes, scattered around bases in Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Manila and&nbsp;Tokyo.

Airbus Inks another Big Neo Deal

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