SunExpress, a joint venture between Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa, this summer will offer 15 new routes to the Turkish Riviera operating flights from Antalya, Izmir, Dalaman and Bodrum-Milas airports to 58 destinations.
In addition, 11 new international routes will be added to its Anatolia – Europe flight network offering direct services from 16 Anatolian cities to 18 cities in Europe.
SunExpress welcomed 10.7 million passengers on board in 2022. Breaking passenger number records, the carrier saw a load factor of 85%, exceeding pre-pandemic levels.
Achieving a revenue of around €1,49 billion in 2022 – above pre-pandemic levels and exceeding its profit target, SunExpress will also reach the largest network in its history this summer adding 26 new routes and plans to carry more than 12 million passengers by the end of the year.
Max Kownatzki, CEO of SunExpress, said, “We continue to contribute to Turkey’s 60 million tourist target for this year. In cooperation with the Turkish Tourism Promotion and Development Agency, we continue our efforts to promote Turkey abroad and contribute to the promotion of travel to Turkey throughout the year.”
SunExpress to accept 60 new pilot candidates into its training program this year
Providing information about SunExpress’ Multiple Crew Pilot Licence Program, Kownatzki said, “We continue to contribute to Turkish aviation with our more than 30 years of experience in the industry. We have been running the Multi-Team Pilot Licence Program since 2018 to train the Turkish pilots of the future. During the pandemic period, 117 pilots successfully completed our program. In the next five years, we will train 160 pilots who will be employed by SunExpress after graduating from the program. This year, we will accept 60 new pilot candidates to our program, for which the application process is ongoing.”
Expansion to create hundreds of new career opportunities
In line with its growth plans, over 400 new jobs will be created in 2023. SunExpress will recruit for cockpit, cabin, line maintenance, ground operations and head office positions in the coming year.
Job opportunities for new graduates with FLY Young Talent Program
SunExpress offers job opportunities to new graduates aiming to build a career in the aviation industry with the Young Talent Program FLY, which was first launched in 2022. The young talents who were eligible to participate in the program already started work in various departments within SunExpress earlier this year. New graduates will also have the opportunity to continue their careers within the company.
“Great Place to Work” Certificate to SunExpress
SunExpress received the “Great Place to Work” Certificate as a result of the evaluations made by the Great Place To Work Institute, which carries out studies on corporate culture and employee experience. In the survey employees’ experiences about corporate culture are evaluated, and SunExpress was granted the certificate by meeting the criteria of a workplace with a high trust culture.
SunExpress continues to provide aid to the earthquake region
SunExpress CEO Max Kownatzki said: “Since the first day of the earthquake, we have been acting in close cooperation with the relevant authorities. After the earthquake that left the whole country in mourning, we continue our relief efforts with the air bridge we have built between Germany and Turkey”
SunExpress operated a total of 435 special flights to transport search and rescue and medical teams to the earthquake zone, and to evacuate affected people. SunExpress carried more than 7,500 search and rescue and medical teams to the region and evacuated approximately 18,000 people affected by the earthquake from the region. The airline delivered more than 220 tons of aid materials to the earthquake zone by providing free cargo service through all official authorities, including the AFAD.
The air bridge, built by SunExpress between Germany and Turkey, transported more than 570 tons of aid materials to the earthquake zone with the “Together We Help” initiative carried out in cooperation with DPD, FIEGE, time:matters, CB Customs Broker GmbH and Lufthansa Cargo. A further 1,000 tons of aid material is expected to be transported to the region.
