Following a strong summer season performance, the airline is carrying its fleet growth, flight network expansion, and training investments into the coming period.
A joint venture between Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa, SunExpress evaluated its 2025 summer season performance and announced its plans for the 2025/26 winter period and 2026 summer season. With a fleet of 85 aircraft, SunExpress has carried over 13 million passengers since the beginning of the year, achieving an 8% increase in passenger numbers and an 85% load factor compared to last year.
During the summer season, the airline added 15 new international routes, maintaining its strong position in direct flights from German-speaking countries, the United Kingdom, and Ireland to Türkiye. Particularly in the UK and Irish markets, SunExpress has quadrupled its seat capacity since 2022 and achieved a 22% increase in passenger numbers since the start of the year compared to 2024.
New Season and Flight Destinations
In the 2025/26 winter season, the İzmir–Porto route will launch with two weekly flights.
İzmir–Madrid flights will increase to three per week, and İzmir–Barcelona flights to five per week, setting a new capacity record for the Iberian Peninsula.
On domestic routes, flights from Antalya and İzmir will connect 21 cities across Türkiye.
In the 2026 summer season, flights from Bodrum to the United Kingdom will commence, along with the launch of 10 new international routes.
Fleet Modernisation and Hangar Investment
SunExpress continues to modernise its fleet with a total order of 132 Boeing aircraft, 87 of which are firm orders. The goal is for the majority of its fleet to consist of 737-8 and 737-10 models by the early 2030s. The new hangar being built at Antalya Airport, with a capacity for 12 aircraft, aims to become a regional strategic centre for technical maintenance and repair.
Investing in Training for the Future
To meet the industry’s need for qualified professionals, SunExpress is expanding its pilot and technician training programmes. The Aircraft Maintenance Technician Programme, launched in collaboration with Eskişehir Technical University, has now been joined by two more universities, with the goal of training 400 technicians over the next five years. Through the Multi-Crew Pilot Licence (MPL) programme, 200 pilots have already been trained, and over 200 more are expected to join in the next five years. The flight training simulator in Antalya will offer 500 hours of hands-on training each month.
SunExpress CEO Max Kownatzki said, “With our expanding flight network and growing fleet, we will continue to contribute to Türkiye’s tourism and economy. The fleet renewal represents a significant transformation in terms of sustainability and comfort.”
