By Aditi Shah

DUBAI, June 2 (Reuters) - Turkey's Pegasus Airlines

will in the coming months begin work on its next

plane order as it looks to continue its fast-paced growth into

the next decade, the budget carrier's CEO told Reuters on

Sunday.

Pegasus, which has seen a rapid recovery in travel after the

pandemic, placed an order for 36 Airbus A321neo planes in July

2023, taking its total orders since 2012 to 150.

Sixteen will be delivered this year and the remaining 52 by

the end of 2029, Guliz Ozturk said in an interview.

Production slots at the two dominant planemakers Airbus

and Boeing ( BA ) are sold out for many years,

resulting in long wait times for airlines wishing to replace and

grow their fleets.

"Beyond 2029, as long we want to grow - and we want to

grow, the demand is there - we have to go out with a new order,"

Ozturk said, adding that there are no specific decisions or

studies yet.

Supply chain problems and delays in aircraft deliveries are

in focus this week as airline CEOs, planemakers, engine

manufacturers and lessors gather in Dubai for the International

Air Transport Association's (IATA) annual meeting.

Safety concerns at U.S. planemaker Boeing ( BA ) and output delays

at Airbus are forcing airlines to plan new aircraft orders well

in advance to keep pace with the rapid rebound in air travel

since the pandemic.

Pegasus has a mixed Boeing ( BA ) and Airbus fleet of 105 aircraft,

but the fleet is dominated by European planemaker Airbus.

When asked whether the airline's dual fleet strategy has

worked well, Ozturk said that while it may seem simpler to run a

single fleet, "when you have delivery delays, it's good that you

have the two manufacturers in the picture".

Pegasus has not faced any significant delays in deliveries

from Airbus, she added.

For Ozturk, the biggest challenge is keeping pace with

demand while managing costs at a time when geopolitical tensions

and wars result in higher fuel prices and add to inflation.

She said despite the disruptions, the airline aims to

achieve an operating profit margin of 28% to 30% in 2024.

The budget carrier expanded its network to add 20 new

international routes in 2023, including to Amman, Warsaw and

Birmingham, taking its total to 138 in 53 countries.

Pegasus, which took delivery of 15 new Airbus planes last

year, had to take three more jets on wet lease to meet demand. A

decision to fly its Boeing ( BA ) planes longer than initially planned

is also to ensure capacity, Ozturk said.

It plans to add more routes this year. Within the six-hour

range that its current fleet can fly, there are 67 countries and

500 destinations, Ozturk said.

"There is still untapped potential," she said.

(Reporting by Aditi Shah

Editing by Ros Russell)