Press Releases

SUNEXPRESS EXPANDS UK ROUTE NETWORK FOR SUMMER 2026 WITH LAUNCH OF SERVICES FROM EAST MIDLANDS

June 25, 2025

25 June, 2025: SunExpress, a joint venture of Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines, is expanding its UK route network for summer 2026 with the launch of services from East Midlands Airport. Details

• February 21, 2023

  “We help together” airlift for earthquake victims: first pure freighter flight by SunExpress takes off

  Frankfurt am Main, February 21, 2023 – Continuous transport of relief supplies for the earthquake victims: yesterday, Monday, the first dedicated freighter flight by SunExpress of the “We help together” initiative took off for Antalya with around ten tons of urgently needed relief supplies.
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• February 17, 2023
  

  SunExpress supports relief efforts in Türkiye with evacuation and cargo transportation

  London, 17th February, 2023 – In the wake of the devastating earthquakes, SunExpress, a joint venture of Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines, has operated 236 relief flights in order to bring rescue and medical staff to the emergency regions as quickly as possible. Over 5,600 rescue workers and medical personnel have been transported. Additionally, the airline has already evacuated nearly 12,500 people affected by the earthquake.
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• September 01, 2022

  SunExpress expands reach in UK with additional seats and two new direct routes from Newcastle and Bristol to Turkey for Summer 2023

  London, September, 2022 – Leisure airline SunExpress, a joint venture of Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines, has announced that it will expand its flight portfolio from the United Kingdom to add Newcastle and Bristol to its route network for the summer 2023 season. Addtionally, to meet the continued robust demand for leisure travel, it’s increased capacity for the UK market by adding an additional 10,000 seats in September and October.
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• September 01, 2022

  Over seven million passengers carried year-to-date: SunExpress increases capacity for September and October and expands UK footprint

  Frankfurt am Main/Antalya, September, 2022 – SunExpress, a joint venture of Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines, has carried over seven million passengers on its flights since the beginning of the year with an average seat load factor of 86 percent. This represents a twofold increase in passenger numbers compared to the same period last year.
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• August 01, 2022

  SunExpress is named the World’s Best Leisure Airline at the 2022 World Airline Awards

  SunExpress has been named the World’s Best Leisure Airline at the prestigious World Airline Awards, held at the historic Langham Hotel in London. It is the first time in the award’s history that the Antalya-based carrier, a joint venture between Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines, has been voted by customers as the World’s Best Leisure Airline after many years of featuring in the top 10 global leisure airlines.
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• July 21, 2021
  

  SunExpress Board of Directors extends CEO Max Kownatzki’s term

  SunExpress, a joint venture of Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa announced that the Board of Directors extended Max Kownatzki as Chief Executive Officer of SunExpress for an indefinite term. Kownatzki joined the leisure airline as CEO in April 2020.
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