SunExpress, the joint venture of Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa, achieved a revenue of EUR 1.8 billion in 2023, up 21% from the previous year. The airline also maintained its load factor at the high level of 85%. SunExpress will reach the largest network in its history this summer adding 28 new routes.  

Max Kownatzki, CEO of SunExpress said, “Türkiye remains at the top of travelers’ minds. The high demand we saw in 2023 is also reflected in the booking figures for the current year. Türkiye scores with its excellent value for money and diverse experiences it offers to travelers. Therefore, we have further expanded our direct connections to Türkiye. The tourism market is geared for growth and as Türkiye’s tourism ambassador, we intend to do our share in this.”

SunExpress is set to add 28 new routes to its flight network in the 2024 summer season and increase its seat capacity by 19%. The carrier will be offering more than 200 routes across 35 countries. 

The leisure airline will also offer 18 new routes to the Turkish Riviera operating flights from Antalya, Izmir, Dalaman, and Bodrum-Milas airports to 67 destinations.

In addition, 10 new international routes will be added to its Anatolia - Europe flight network, offering direct services from 15 Anatolian cities to 18 cities in Europe and 3 cities in the Middle East.  “We continue to bring individual with Turkish roots and family ties living in Europe to their home and reunite them with their loved ones. We will continue to support the local tourism of Anatolian cities as well” Kownatzki added.

SunExpress broke its own record with 12.6 million passengers in 2023. The carrier expects to welcome more than 15 million passengers by the end of the year.

Stating that they are committed to making Türkiye a year-round destination, Kownatzki said, “We are eager to help Türkiye reach its target of 60 million tourists this year. We are working together with the Turkish Tourism Promotion and Development Agency to promote Türkiye abroad and to highlight Türkiye as a destination that combines adventure, sports, relaxation, history and cultural sights, appealing to a wide audience of travel enthusiasts.” 

Every other visitor from Germany to Türkiye in 2023 flew on SunExpress

SunExpress carried more than 50% of visitors traveling from Germany to Türkiye in 2023. Türkiye welcomed 6.2 million visitors from Germany last year, making Germany the second largest source market for Turkish tourism.

In line with its growth strategy, SunExpress plans to recruit nearly 1300 employees by the end of 2025, including cockpit, cabin, line maintenance, ground operations and head office positions.

Last year, SunExpress placed the largest aircraft order in the company’s history. The airline currently operates 77 Boeing 737s and will increase the number of aircraft in its fleet to 166 by 2035. 

The new orders represent SunExpress’ ambition to respond to the increasing demand for Türkiye and supporting Türkiye’s tourism. “We have once again proven that we are a key partner for Turkish tourism with our flights between Türkiye and Europe. Our planned growth is a reflection of our commitment to Türkiye’s tourism” said Kownatzki.

Destinations;

Antalya to Graz, Sarajevo, Leeds/Bradford, Milan-Malpensa, London-Stansted, Kuwait, Bucharest-Otopeni, Cairo

Dalaman to Edinburg, Vienna, Nuremberg

İzmir to Sarajevo, Warsaw, Pristina, Madrid, Tirana, Rome-Fiumicino, Prague

Anatolia; Trabzon to Kuwait, Gaziantep to London/Stansted, Samsun to Munich, Adana to London/Stansted, Malatya to Franfurt, Malatya to Dusseldorf, Kayseri to Berlin, Diyarbakır to Berlin, 

 Gaziantep to Munich, Samsun to Cologne/Bonn