Pegasus Airlines

History of Pegasus Airlines

Pegasus Hava Taşımacılığı A.Ş. was registered in Istanbul in January 1990. The airline as it is known today dates from 2005, when it relaunched as Türkiye's first low-cost airline, starting scheduled operations with five aircraft and six destinations. Its first international scheduled flight, to Germany, followed in 2006.

Growth came quickly. In 2012 Pegasus placed what it describes as the largest single aircraft order in Turkish aviation history, for 100 Airbus neo aircraft, and in 2013 it floated 34.5% of its shares on Borsa Istanbul. It took its first A320neo in 2016, its first A321neo in 2019 and its 100th aircraft in 2023.

In 2024 the airline ordered up to 200 Boeing 737-10s, including options, its largest order to date. In December 2025 it agreed to buy Czech Airlines and its parent Smartwings, and completed the deal in 2026 through its Dutch subsidiary Pegasus Europe B.V. The Smartwings and Czech Airlines brands continue to operate. By 2025 Pegasus said it had carried 400 million guests over 20 years.

Fleet

Aircraft types in service as of 2026

At 31 March 2026 the Pegasus fleet totalled 129 aircraft: 120 Airbus (6 A320ceo, 46 A320neo and 68 A321neo) and 9 Boeing 737-800s, according to its investor relations site. The fleet is moving towards the A321neo, and the 2024 Boeing 737-10 order (up to 200 aircraft including options) shapes its next phase. Smartwings group aircraft are counted separately.

Network and hubs

Pegasus operates mainly from Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport on the Asian side of the city, with further operations from other Turkish airports. At the end of 2025 it served 158 destinations in 55 countries, covering domestic Türkiye, Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia.

The model is point-to-point low-cost flying, but Sabiha Gökçen also works as a connecting point, for example between Europe and the Gulf. The 2026 Smartwings purchase adds a second home market in Czechia, where those airlines keep their own brands.