Pegasus Airlines is bouncing back and looking to new markets

The airline said: “By the time the Turkish government had suppressed the military coup of July 2016, it was clear that tough times lay ahead for the country’s aviation sector. A series of high-profile terror attacks – including one devastating assault on Istanbul’s Atatürk International Airport – had already shattered Turkey’s appeal as a tourism hotspot and intercontinental aviation hub.

“Political unrest only looked set to damage its reputation further. With flag-carrier Turkish Airlines and low-cost rival Pegasus Airlines both posting operating losses for the year – their first in recent memory – concerns grew that Turkey’s era of double-digit passenger growth was grinding to a halt. The subsequent election of US president Donald Trump and the imposition of his laptop ban on Turkish and Middle Eastern carriers made 2017 appear no less ominous.

“Yet, despite battling headwinds on multiple fronts, the two network carriers rebooted their growth plans after bouncing back into profit. Amid a vastly improved security climate and a better-than-expected recovery in outbound demand, Turkey’s aviation sector now looks stronger than ever.”

Emre Pekesen, sales and network planning director at Pegasus said: “It’s true 2016 was a very catastrophic year for every airline in Turkey.

“The coup attempt and the other security issues affected inbound traffic a lot. But all those issues seem to be solved right now, and for 2017, I can say, it has definitely recovered.”