SunExpress

History

SunExpress was established in October 1989 in Antalya, Turkey, as a 50/50 joint venture between Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa (Germany), with its first flight following in 1990 and its first scheduled international route (Antalya-Frankfurt) launched in 2001 as Turkey's first privately operated airline offering scheduled international service. The carrier opened a second Turkish base in İzmir in 2006 and, in 2011, briefly operated a German-registered subsidiary, SunExpress Deutschland, which was wound down in June 2020. SunExpress has continued to modernize its fleet with an all-Boeing 737 strategy, including large orders for the 737 MAX.

Current Operations

SunExpress remains jointly owned by Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa Group, operating an all-Boeing 737 fleet (including 737 MAX aircraft, with further MAX jets on order) on scheduled and charter routes primarily linking Turkey with Germany and other European markets, plus points around the Mediterranean, Black Sea, and Red Sea. Its main base is Antalya, with a secondary base at İzmir; the airline has continued to add destinations, including its first flight to Northern Cyprus in 2023. It is not a member of a global alliance in its own right but maintains codeshare links with Lufthansa Group carriers such as Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Swiss, and Eurowings.

Last verified 2026-09-02· Source: airline public disclosures, company press releases & aviation-industry reporting.

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