SunExpress targets record passenger numbers as UK network expands
April 30, 2025
SunExpress, the leisure airline jointly owned by Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa, has posted its strongest financial results to date, generating €2.2 billion in revenue for 2024 – a 23% jump on the previous year – and setting the stage for further expansion across Europe, including a major push in the UK and Ireland.
Marking its 35th year of operations, the carrier said it flew nearly 15 million passengers in 2024, a figure it aims to increase to 16.8 million in 2025.
SunExpress has nearly doubled its seat capacity since before the pandemic and now operates a fleet of 85 aircraft across 237 routes to 35 countries.
“Thanks to our strong financial performance, efficient operations, and high-quality service, we wrapped up a highly successful year. 2024 was a record year for us in terms of both capacity and fleet expansion, achieving the highest revenue and profit in our history. With a team of over 4,000 employees, we served nearly 15 million passengers,” said Max Kownatzki, CEO of SunExpress.
The airline is adding 15 new international routes for summer 2025, with seven of those being introduced in the UK and Ireland – a region that has become SunExpress’s second most important source market after Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
The carrier plans to offer around two million seats from the UK and Ireland this year, representing a 25% year-on-year increase. New routes are launching from Glasgow, Liverpool and Cork in April and May, bringing SunExpress’s departure points across the British Isles to 13 airports, up from just five in 2022.
“The UK and Ireland market is of vital strategic importance to SunExpress. With continuing demand for Türkiye as a sought-after holiday destination, we have broadened our footprint from five to 13 airports since 2022, working alongside our travel industry partners to deliver increasing choice and value for customers in the UK and Ireland,” said Kownatzki.
He also noted the momentum heading into the peak travel period: “We have had a solid start to the 2025 summer season, with bookings increasing by 11% year-on-year for the second quarter of the year. Additionally, we are observing a significant rise in interest for the autumn season. This reflects a rising appetite in Türkiye not just for sea and sun vacations, but also for cultural, historical, gastronomic, health and sports tourism.”
