We all know that the Airline Industry struggled massively during the pandemic as flights were virtually cancelled across the globe within days – so it’s extremely positive to see that both Pegasus Airlines and Turkish Airlines reported extremely good growth in 2022, along with profits that were close to pre-pandemic levels.
Pegasus Airlines, one of Turkey’s main low-cost carriers, have several bases across Türkiye’s Airports and reports filed with the Public Disclosure platform revealed they made a turnover of $2.7bn USD last year, made possible by the significant increase in passenger numbers, which was 33.7% higher than 2021.
Of the 26.9m passengers that chose to fly with Pegasus Airlines last year just under 11 million were for domestic routes, whereas the other 16m passengers flew international routes, of which there are 89 destinations in 45 countries. Currently Pegasus have bases at Adana, Ankara, Antalya, Ercan, Istanbul-Sabiha Gokcan, and Izmir, plus they have an operational fleet of 95 aircraft. Plans for 2023 include a further growth of approximately 20%, along with a fleet expansion and next-generation fuel saving upgrades.
Turkish Airlines (Türkiye’s main carrier) reported their net profits to be $2.7bn USD for 2022, along with the revelation that it’s the sixth quarter in a row in which they have made a net profit. Not only did passenger numbers of 72 million contribute to the total turnover, but assistance was also found in the significant increase in revenue of around 20% from their Cargo Arm (which actually helped to keep them afloat during the Covid Pandemic and is now the World’s fifth largest Cargo Carrier).
In addition to the 52 domestic routes they have, Turkish Airlines also fly to 263 international destinations across 124 countries achieving average occupancy rates of between 80% to 85% across the year. A fleet of 400 Airbus and Boeing aircraft transport their passengers around the world, signifying huge growth since they started operating in 1933 with just five planes!
Plans for 2023 include an increased capacity of between 17-20%, an increase in the number of aircraft from 400 to 427 and higher passenger numbers, from 72 million to 88 million.
Air Travel is well and truly back – and it’s great to see!
