Pegasus Airlines (PC/PGT) is a Turkish low-cost carrier operating since 1991.
History
Pegasus Airlines started as an inclusive tour charter airline on 1 December 1989, when two businesses Net and Silkar partnered with 🇮🇪 Aer Lingus. Services were inaugurated on 15 April 1990 with two Boeing 737-400s. Within four months, Iraq invaded Kuwait and the seven-month occupation that followed had a serious effect on Turkish tourism. By 1992, tourists began returning to the country and Pegasus grew with the acquisition of a third 737-400. The airline leased a further two Airbus A320s to meet the summer demand.
After two positive years, Aer Lingus and Net sold their shares in the company in 1994 to Yapi Kredibank, making Pegasus a purely Turkish company.
On 4 September 1997, Pegasus placed a direct order for one Boeing 737-400 and one 737-800 at Boeing, making it the first Turkish carrier to place an order for the Boeing 737 Next Generation. The airline also signed lease agreements for a further ten Boeing 737-800s from ILFC.
Pegasus Airlines was purchased by ESAS Holdings in January 2005 and placed Ali Sabanci as the chairman. Two months later, he changed the airline from a charter airline to a low-cost airline. In November, Pegasus placed an order for twelve new Boeing 737-800s from Boeing, which was backed up with an order for a further twelve Boeing 737-800s in November 2008. The latter order had flexibility, as the order could be changed to the 149-seat Boeing 737-700 or the 215-seat Boeing 737-900 depending on market demand. In 2018, Pegasus tried to acquire an Airbus A380, but that order was later cancelled.
Pegasus Airlines purchased 🇹🇷 IZair in 2006 and launched 🇹🇷 Air Berlin Turkey in 2012 together with 🇩🇪 Air Berlin, which was aimed at the charter market between Germany and Turkey. The cooperation was however discontinued in 2013, with the brand itself being abandoned.
By 2012, Pegasus Airlines had become the second-largest airline in Turkey. It signed for up to 100 Airbus A320neo family aircraft (57 A320neo and 18 A321neo models), of which 75 were firm orders. Pegasus became a new Airbus customer and the first Turkish airline to order the A320neo. This was also the largest single commercial aircraft order ever placed by an airline in Turkey at that time.
Pegasus Airlines also invested in Kyrgyz airline 🇰🇬 Air Manas. As part of bilateral trade relations between Turkey and the Kyrgyz Republic, a new Kyrgyz airline with the name “🇰🇬 Air Manas” was created, with Pegasus Airlines owning 49% of the shares. 🇰🇬 Air Manas operated its first flight from Bishkek to Istanbul under the 🇰🇬 Pegasus Asia brand name on 22 March 2013. It operated under this brand until early 2016, after which the airline restarted operations as 🇰🇬 Air Manas.
Accidents and incidents
On 10 March 2010, Pegasus Airlines Flight 361, an Airbus A319 (🇹🇷 TC-IZR) operated by 🇹🇷 IZair on a ferry flight, made an emergency landing at Frankfurt Airport, after a malfunction in the nose gear. The flight landed safely but blew both front nose gear tires. The airport closed runway 07R/25L for three hours to allow recovery. The nose gear suffered the same problem as JetBlue Flight 292.
On 7 February 2014, Pegasus Airlines flight 751, a Boeing 737 (🇹🇷 TC-CCP) was the victim of an attempted hijacking by Ukrainian passenger Artem Kozlov, who claimed he had a bomb on board. The passenger demanded to be flown to Sochi, the host city of the 2014 Winter Olympics, where the Opening Ceremony was taking place. The plane landed safely in Istanbul.
On 13 January 2018, Pegasus Airlines Flight 8622, a Boeing 737-800 (🇹🇷 TC-CPF) from Ankara to Trabzon, veered off the wet runway at Trabzon, slid into the ground of an acutely cliff and got stuck in the mud, which prevented the 41-tonne fuselage from skidding into the Black Sea. All 168 people on board survived and there were no reported injuries. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
On 7 January 2020, Pegasus Airlines Flight 747, a Boeing 737-800 (🇹🇷 TC-CCK) overran the runway on landing at Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport. All on board evacuated via slides and there were no injuries.
On 5 February 2020, Pegasus Airlines Flight 2193, a Boeing 737-800 (🇹🇷 TC-IZK) overran the runway on landing at Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport. The fuselage broke into three segments and an engine caught fire. Three passengers were killed and 179 were injured.
Fleet
| Aircraft Type | Current | Future | Historic | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A300B4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Airbus A320-200 | 9 | 0 | 8 | 17 |
| Airbus A320neo | 46 | 0 | 0 | 46 |
| Airbus A321neo | 17 | 5 | 0 | 22 |
| Boeing 737-300 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Boeing 737-400 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 16 |
| Boeing 737-500 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Boeing 737-800 | 19 | 0 | 61 | 80 |