Mehmet T. Nane, the Chairperson of the Board of Directors at Pegasus Airlines and Chair of the IATA Board of Governors, believes in the transformative power of technology and its wide-ranging benefits. From sustainability efforts to the future digital strategy of the airline, Mehmet T. Nane envisions opportunities for both Türkiye and Pegasus Airlines.

Digital Transformation for Enhanced Customer Experience

One of the main drivers of post-pandemic aviation, as with many sectors, is the ever-growing importance of digitalisation. Pegasus has been investing in travel with minimum contact, with express check-ins, baggage drops, and boarding processes. Mehmet T. Nane also emphasises their commitment to enhancing the digital experience for its guests. Pegasus' digital strategy revolves around improving the overall digital experience. “Companies that use technology effectively can provide a better guest experience, more efficient and flawless operations, and offer their employees a creative and innovative working environment.  We invest in products and tools that make every stage of the journey easier, better, and more seamless for our guests.” Pegasus aspires to be one of the airlines at the forefront of utilising technology effectively.

Digitalisation and Sustainability

The digitalisation of the aviation industry goes hand in hand with sustainability. The efforts to digitalise mean new technologies and new ways of doing business. These technologies not only help increase operational efficiency to alleviate environmental burden, but also empower both passengers and employees for an easy, consistent and personalized experience. Mehmet T. Nane highlights the airline's commitment to reducing its environmental impact: "Technology is an important factor in driving the future sustainability of our industry as part of our commitment to Net Zero by 2050, and this is also a vital part of our decision-making process. First of all, we need to measure our environmental impact to improve our performance and digitalization is at the heart of measuring, reporting, verifying emissions, and indicates us more impactful solutions to focus on. It also helps us improve our processes and our speed, reduce friction and waste.”

Commitment to Sustainable Aviation

In line with these commitments, Pegasus Airlines is actively exploring many ways to reduce its environmental impact, including continuous investment in young and fuel-efficient aircraft, optimising flight operations, and investing in renewable energy sources. Mehmet T. Nane believes that sustainable aviation is not only a moral imperative but also a business opportunity. By embracing sustainable practices, Pegasus Airlines aims to contribute to the long-term viability of the aviation industry while meeting the growing expectations of younger and more environmentally conscious travellers. Yet these developments do not guarantee that the future of sustainable air travel is problem-free. Nane sees the biggest challenge standing in the way is fuel. Sustainable Airline Fuels (SAF) are scarce, and at the moment, they are several times more expensive than jet fuel: " All our efforts are also strategized in tandem with our Sustainability (ESG) perspective. Until such time when we can technologically and economically replace global aircraft fleets with alternative energy sources such as hydrogen, our sustainability efforts must focus on the use of SAFs.  Governments should evaluate the value in the local production of SAF and create incentives for increased production and make it affordable for airlines. This will carry the industry towards its net zero target."