SunExpress, a joint venture between Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa, increased its revenue by 23% year-on-year in 2024, reaching €2.2 billion. The airline carried around 15 million passengers, achieving the highest revenue and profit levels in its history.
Preparing to celebrate its 35th anniversary in 2025, SunExpress aims to carry 16.8 million passengers this year. Having nearly doubled its seat capacity compared to the pre-pandemic period, the airline recorded significant growth, particularly in the United Kingdom and Ireland markets.
Record Growth from the United Kingdom and Ireland
SunExpress is offering around two million seats across the United Kingdom and Ireland, a 25% increase compared to 2024. With the addition of new destinations such as Glasgow, Liverpool, and Cork, the airline’s network in these regions has expanded to 13 departure airports.
For the summer 2025 season, new direct routes from the United Kingdom and Ireland include flights from Glasgow and Liverpool to Antalya, from Glasgow, Newcastle and Stansted to Dalaman, as well as from Stansted to Kayseri. With these additions, the region has become SunExpress’s second largest source market, following Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
Statements from CEO Max Kownatzki
Commenting on the growth, SunExpress CEO Max Kownatzki said:
“The United Kingdom and Ireland market is of vital strategic importance for SunExpress. Thanks to Türkiye’s continued appeal as an attractive holiday destination, we are able to offer our customers more choice and greater value. Since 2022, we have expanded our network in these regions from five airports to 13 airports.”
Kownatzki also stated that they had made a strong start to the summer 2025 season, with bookings in the second quarter up 11% compared to the previous year. Highlighting the increasing interest in Türkiye for the autumn season as well, he emphasised that the country has become a magnet not only for sea and sun holidays, but also for culture, history, gastronomy, health, and sports tourism.
SunExpress closed 2024 with record-breaking achievements, thanks to its strong financial performance, efficient operations, and high service quality. The airline continued its growth by expanding its fleet to 85 aircraft, serving 35 countries.
