Turkey sees UAE a vibrant aviation market

Turkey’s well-known private airline company continues spreading its wings across the globe. Pegasus Airlines during the week launched scheduled flights between Dubai and Istanbul. Ali Sabanci, the chairman of Pegasus Airlines, said that Pegasus clinches its existence in the Middle East with the addition of Dubai, the 5th destination at the region: He said Pegasus makes flying easy and very affordable.  Our low cost product is now serving guests in a total of 62 destinations in 26 countries and with our Dubai flights we are serving the 5th destination in Middle East. “We have made flying more accessible in this region for our guests by widening our flight network in the Middle East, after Europe, the Balkans and the Caucasus. With the potential and opportunities that they hold for Pegasus the Middle East, the Balkans and the Caucasus are a priority for us. With its $22.3 million investment in technology Pegasus broke ground in all over the world. By its new flight simulator Pegasus has take its place within the 58 companies who own a simulator and became the first company who integrates Wireless Groundlink End to End Network Solutions to its fleet, said Sabanci. In particular the UAE which consists of 7 emirates with a total population of 8.5 million, already has 7.6 million tourists flying internationally to only Dubai itself. With in the 1.5 months following the start of our Dubai flights, we have flown 6.477 guests to Dubai and 41 per cent of these guests flew at discounted prices less then 100 Euro.  We believe that this region has a huge potential to fly with our competitive prices. So with our scheduled flights, our 92,42 per cent of on-time performance in the first 11 months of 2012 and our fleet with the age of 3,12 years old, we introduced and continue to introduce our guests to the ‘Pegasus way of flying’. We create competitive environment for airline guests with in the countries we fly and we continue to grow with the new Dubai route.  We were chosen the fastest growing European airline of 2011.  Our services will now benefit Dubai” Dubai-Istanbul flights started on 18th of October, with guests being able to fly to Istanbul every Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. More detailed information about flights and ticket prices can be found on www.flypgs.com. Pegasus connects Dubai to 34 destinations Pegasus guests can make 34 international connections from Dubai;  Almaty, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Beirut, Milan, Bologna, Brussels, Basel, Batumi, Cologne, Copenhagen, Donetsk, Dusseldorf, St. Etienne / Lyon, North Cyprus, Roma, Kharkiv, Tahran, Krasnodar, Lviv, Marseille, Munich, Omsk, Paris, Bucharest, Pristina, Skopje, London, Stuttgart, Berlin, Tbilisi, Tel Aviv, Vienne, Zurich and can also make connections to Adana, zmir, Kayseri, Antalya, Batman, Bodrum, Diyarbak?r, Dalaman, Erzincan, Ankara, Elaz?, anl?urfa, Gaziantep, Hatay, Konya, Malatya, Samsun, Sivas, Trabzon and Van in Turkey. Pegasus Airlines was established in Istanbul in 1990, and is part of ESAS Holding which is owned by Turkey’s well-known family Sabanc? Family. Pegasus Airlines began its first domestic scheduled flights on 1st November 2005, creating and implementing Turkey’s first full low-cost airline strategy. By selecting Sabiha Gokcen Airport as its principal airport and hub, Pegasus Airlines has introduced the Turkish public to easy, comfortable and low-cost flying. Pegasus had a continuous growth rate between 2006-2010, its domestic guests increased 42 per cent and international guests increased 26 per cent yearly in this period. Pegasus’ domestic guests number grew approx. 3 times faster than the sector average between 2006-2010. Pegasus has enriched its destinations with the same speed and with Dubai and the total of domestic and international destinations reached to 62 destinations in 26 countries throughout Europe, Middle East, the Balkans and the Caucasus. With its high-cost investments in flight safety and technology Pegasus provided its guests economical, secure and on time flights. Pegasus continues to add new generation Boeing 737/800’s in terms of a $3.2 billion agreement with Boeing. 40 Next-generation Boeing 737/800’s which will all be delivered by 2015. Today, we have a fleet of 42 aircraft, of which 40 are Boeing 737-800s with an average age of 3.12 years. Pegasus is the first airline company who publishes its on time rate on daily base and within the 11 months of this year the on time average has been 92.42 per cent. In 2009, Esas Holding became the largest shareholder position of AirBerlin buying its 16.48 per cent shares and the codeshare flights between Pegasus and AirBerlin has started in last September. From Gulf Today