Pegasus Takes Delivery of its 100th Aircraft, Cumhuriyet

Monday, Oct 02, 2023 0

Pegasus Airlines’ 100^th aircraft, called Cumhuriyet (‘Republic’) in honour of the Turkish Republic’s centenary, has landed at Istanbul’s Sabiha Gökçen Airport. The new Airbus A321neo features the silhouette and signature of Türkiye’s founding father Mustafa Kemal Atatürk on its tail.

Continuing to expand its fleet with new generation engine aircraft, Pegasus Airlines has taken delivery of its 100th aircraft, named Cumhuriyet (‘Republic’) in honour of the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Türkiye. The new Airbus A321neo, bearing the tail sign TC-RDP, completed its inaugural journey from Hamburg, Germany, landing at Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport on Saturday, 30 September 2023, at 6pm.

Mehmet T. Nane, Chairperson of the Board at Pegasus Airlines, and Güliz Öztürk, CEO of Pegasus Airlines, took delivery of the aircraft in person at the Airbus facilities in Hamburg, Germany. The aircraft was specially designed to pay tribute to the centenary of the Turkish Republic, featuring the silhouette and signature of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk on its tail. Cumhuriyet is the ninth of the 16 new aircraft scheduled to join the Pegasus fleet in 2023, marking the 100th aircraft so far and the 75th aircraft to be delivered as part of the Airbus order signed in 2012, which, through additional agreements over the years was extended to a total of 150 aircraft.

In her statement, Güliz Öztürk, CEO of Pegasus, expressed great pride in receiving the airline’s 100th aircraft during the Republic’s centenary: “We’ve now reached our 100-aircraft milestone with our new A321neo aircraft, Cumhuriyet. We are taking strong steps into the future with an extensive international network spanning Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Caucasus, and across Türkiye from north to east to south and west. With our innovative, rational, principled, and responsible approach, we aim to be one of the industry’s leading low-cost airlines that streamlines air travel while offering affordable fares.

“We are committed to continuing the transformation that we started in Turkish aviation 18 years ago.”

Güliz Öztürk emphasised that all aircraft deliveries from 2021 onward consist of A321neo aircraft: “The A321 is widely recognised in the industry as a game-changer, featuring a distinct configuration compared to standard short-to-medium range commercial aircraft. These aircraft offer more capacity through a longer fuselage while maintaining an operational process that aligns well with our current structure. In essence, this allows us to provide higher-capacity services without complicating our operational setup. In this regard, we are yielding high value efficiencies.” She continued: “We are committed to continuing the transformation that we started in Turkish aviation 18 years ago and remain dedicated to excellence. With our aircraft that make up Türkiye’s most modern fleet, we will continue to work with all our strength for our country, our industry, our stakeholders, and our guests.”

As of 25 September 2023, Pegasus’ fleet consists of 100 aircraft, including 15 Boeing B737-800s, six Airbus A320ceos, 46 Airbus A320neos, and 33 Airbus A321neos, making it the youngest fleet in Türkiye with an average age of 4.5 years.