Robust demand prompts SunExpress to add 2,000 flights to Türkiye

SunExpress has boosted its capacity and added over 2,000 flights to Türkiye to accommodate the robust demand amid a prolonged tourism season that will likely help the carrier surpass its passenger target set for 2023.

A joint venture of Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa, SunExpress has flown around 10 million passengers from January through September, an all-time high, and reached a record 88% load factor, its CEO, Max Kownatzki, told reporters in the Mediterranean resort of Antalya.

The figure is way above the 7.9 million passengers served in the first three quarters of 2019 before the coronavirus pandemic halted travel worldwide.

“We have exceeded our targets in passenger traffic and anticipate surpassing our goal of 12 million passengers by year-end,” said Kownatzki.

“To meet the ongoing demand for Türkiye following the summer season, we have increased our capacity and planned over 2,000 additional flights by the end of the year,” he said.

“We will continue to contribute to the country’s goal of welcoming 60 million tourists this year.”

Tourism represents a critical source of revenue for Türkiye as the government focuses on curbing the chronic current account deficit.

Some 33.4 million tourists arrived in Türkiye in the January-August period, marking a nearly 14% year-over-year jump, according to the Culture and Tourism Ministry data. The government sees foreign arrivals reaching 60 million and income rising to $56 billion this year.

15 new routes

SunExpress’ capacity expansion translates into 500,000 additional seats for the September-December period and Kownatzki said the company was boosting its record flight network with 15 new routes.

Dubbing the carrier “Turkish tourism ambassador,” Kownatzki said the company was seeking to transform Türkiye into a year-round destination by leveraging its history, nature, cuisine, and sports.

“To extend tourism throughout the year, we have increased our winter capacity and added 15 new routes to our winter network. This winter, we will connect beautiful new destinations such as Skopje, Abu Dhabi, Sharm El-Sheikh, Sofia, Krakow, and Cyprus to Antalya and Izmir,” he said.

The Antalya-based airline carried a record 10.7 million passengers, mainly between Türkiye and European countries, last year with an 85% load factor, exceeding the pre-pandemic levels.

It also achieved a record 1.49 billion euros in revenue and 85 million euros in earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) in 2022.

Last year’s complete rebound from the pandemic fallout saw the number of tourists in Türkiye near a record, generating all-time high revenues and prompting the government to raise its annual estimates.

Arrivals surged 80.33% to 44.6 million, just shy of the peak of 45.1 million in 2019. Income climbed 53.4% to a record high of nearly $46.3 billion as the lingering effects of the pandemic dissipated and Russian arrivals rocketed after Moscow invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24.

The revenues surged 27% year-over-year to $21.7 billion in the first six months of this year, according to official data.

Tourism contributes about 10% to Türkiye’s gross domestic product (GDP). In addition, around 1.7 million people worked in accommodation and food services in 2022 – about 5% of total employment.

Damp lease deal with South African Airways

SunExpress’ Kownatzki said soaring costs were a serious problem, stressing the company was trying to absorb what he says were abnormal increases.

He also highlighted advanced bookings for 2024, which he says are 20% higher compared to 203.

SunExpress has placed an order for 42 Boeing planes, of which nine have been delivered, according to the CEO.

He said the company has taken additional actions to manage fleet growth in a sustainable manner, including mitigating seasonality effects. As part of this strategy, SunExpress signed a damp lease agreement with South African Airways.

The deal foresees two Boeing 737-800 aircraft in SunExpress’s fleet operating on South African Airways’ Johannesburg-based flights.

The first aircraft will start operations in mid-October, and the second in November, said Kownatzki. The flights will continue until April 2024.

“With over 30 years of experience in the industry, we continue to contribute to Turkish aviation and create jobs as a company that has been awarded the ‘Great Place to Work’ certificate by its employees,” said the CEO.

Since 2018, Kownatzki said they have been running the multi-pilot license training program to train Turkish pilots, providing job guarantees for program graduates.

“In the next five years, we plan to enroll 160 people in the program, which currently has 60 trainees. Furthermore, we will employ over 160 pilots and 400 cabin crew members for the 2024 summer season,” he noted.