Pegasus Airlines facts for kids
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| Founded | 12 January 1991 |
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| Operating bases |
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| Frequent-flyer program | Pegasus BolBol |
| Subsidiaries |
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| Fleet size | 105 |
| Destinations | 134 |
| Parent company | ESAS Holding |
| Revenue |  ₺42,732,213,696 billion (2022) |
| Operating income | ₺9,675,473,711 billion (2022) |
| Net income | ₺7,100,145,148 billion (2022) |
| Total assets | ₺95,803,046,438 billion (2022) |
| Total equity | ₺18,044,743,319 billion (2022) |
| Employees | 6,164 (December 2019) |
Pegasus Airlines (Turkish: Pegasus Hava Taşımacılığı A.Ş.) is a Turkish airline. It is known as a low-cost carrier, which means it offers flights at lower prices. The airline's main office is in Istanbul, Turkey. It also has important bases at several airports across Turkey.
Contents
History of Pegasus Airlines
How Pegasus Airlines Started
Pegasus Airlines began on December 1, 1989. Two companies, Net and Silkar, worked with Aer Lingus to create it. It started as a charter airline, offering flights for tour groups. The first flights took off on April 15, 1990, using two Boeing 737-400 planes.
The name "Pegasus" comes from Greek mythology. Pegasus was a famous winged horse.
Just four months after the airline started, a war began when Iraq invaded Kuwait. This war greatly affected tourism in Turkey. But by 1992, tourists started coming back. Pegasus Airlines grew by adding a third Boeing 737-400. They also rented two Airbus A320 planes for busy summer travel.
After two good years, Aer Lingus and Net sold their shares in 1994. A bank from Istanbul called Yapı Kredi bought them. This made Pegasus Airlines a fully Turkish company.
In 1997, Pegasus Airlines ordered new planes from Boeing. They were the first Turkish airline to order the Boeing 737 Next Generation planes. They also agreed to rent 10 more 737-800 planes.
Becoming a Low-Cost Airline
In January 2005, a company called ESAS Holdings bought Pegasus Airlines. They made Ali Sabanci the new chairman. Two months later, he changed the airline from a charter airline to a low-cost airline. This meant they would focus on offering cheaper flights to more people.
In November 2005, Pegasus ordered 12 new 737-800 planes from Boeing. They ordered another 12 in 2008. By 2007, Pegasus had 15% of the domestic flight market in Turkey. This grew to 27% by 2013. In 2019, the airline carried almost 30 million passengers.
Recent Developments Since 2010
In 2011, Pegasus Airlines worked with Air Berlin to create "Air Berlin Turkey." This airline focused on flights between Germany and Turkey. However, it later became part of Pegasus Airlines in 2013.
In 2012, Pegasus Airlines made a very large order for up to 100 new Airbus A320neo Family planes. This was the biggest plane order ever made by a Turkish airline at that time. Pegasus was the first Turkish airline to order the A320neo.
In June 2012, Pegasus Airlines bought 49% of a Kyrgyz airline called Air Manas. On March 22, 2013, this airline started flying under the name Pegasus Asia.
In April 2013, Pegasus Airlines offered some of its company shares to the public. This meant that people could buy a part of the company. These shares are traded on the Borsa Istanbul stock exchange.
In October 2016, Pegasus Airlines announced it would rent out some of its planes to other airlines.
In August 2022, Pegasus Airlines had a data problem. Some of their internal information was accidentally left open on the internet. This included some passwords and personal details of flight crew members. Other airlines that used the same system, like Turkish Airlines and Air Manas, were also affected.
How Pegasus Airlines Operates
Inside the Plane
Pegasus Airlines planes have one type of seating for all passengers. They offer a "Flying Cafe" where you can buy food and drinks during your flight. Some planes also have screens that show a map of the flight's progress. Newer Boeing 737-800 planes have a special "Boeing Sky Interior" design.
Training and Maintenance
Unlike many low-cost airlines, Pegasus Airlines has its own training center for flight crews. It also has its own maintenance team called Pegasus Technic. Both centers are approved to train new staff and keep the planes in good condition.
Sponsorships
From 2011 to 2013, Pegasus Airlines was a sponsor of Nef Stadium. This is the home stadium for the Turkish football team Galatasaray S.K..
Where Pegasus Airlines Flies
Pegasus Airlines flies to many places. You can find a full list of their destinations on the List of Pegasus Airlines destinations page.
Sharing Flights with Other Airlines
Pegasus Airlines has agreements with other airlines to share flights. This is called a codeshare agreement. It means you might book a flight with Pegasus, but part of your journey could be on a plane from another airline.
- Delta Air Lines
- Flynas
- ITA Airways
- KLM
- Nile Air
- Qatar Airways
- Air Transat
Pegasus Airlines also has an interline agreement with Emirates. This allows passengers to easily connect between flights of both airlines.
Pegasus Airlines Fleet
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Current Planes
As of March 2024, Pegasus Airlines has 105 planes in its fleet.
| Aircraft | In service | Orders | Passengers | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A320-200 | 6 | — | 180 | These planes will be removed from service over time. | |
| Airbus A320neo | 46 | — | 186 | ||
| Airbus A321neo | 43 | 6 | 239 | ||
| Boeing 737-800 | 10 | — | 189 | These planes will be removed from service by 2029. | |
| Total | 105 | 6 | |||
Past Planes
Pegasus Airlines used to operate these types of planes:
| Aircraft | Total | Introduced | Retired | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A300B4-200 | 2 | 1996 | 1997 | |
| Boeing 737-300 | 1 | 2008 | 2009 | Rented from Corendon Airlines. |
| Boeing 737-400 | 16 | 1990 | 2013 | |
| Boeing 737-500 | 3 | 2006 | 2011 |
Flight Safety Information
Aviation safety is very important. Here are some notable events involving Pegasus Airlines flights:
- On March 10, 2010, Pegasus Airlines Flight 361 had a problem with its nose landing gear. The plane landed safely at Frankfurt Airport in Germany, but two front tires burst.
- On February 7, 2014, a passenger tried to hijack Pegasus Airlines Flight 751. The passenger claimed to have a bomb and wanted to fly to Sochi. The plane landed safely in Istanbul.
- On January 13, 2018, Pegasus Airlines Flight 8622 went off the runway after landing at Trabzon Airport. The plane slid down a cliff but got stuck in the mud, stopping it from going into the Black Sea. All 168 people on board survived without injuries.
- On January 7, 2020, Pegasus Airlines Flight 747 went off the runway when landing at Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport. Everyone on board got off safely, and there were no injuries.
- On February 5, 2020, Pegasus Airlines Flight 2193 went off the runway while landing at Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport. The plane broke into three parts, and one engine caught fire. Sadly, three passengers died, and 179 were injured.
- On January 26, 2021, Pegasus Airlines Flight PC939 landed at Basel Mulhouse-Freiburg EuroAirport with its nose landing gear turned sideways. The tires on the nose gear burst because of this.
See also
In Spanish: Pegasus Airlines para niños
- Air Manas
- AJet
