Turkish low-cost carrier Pegasus Airlines carried 4.27 million passengers in September, up 7% from a year earlier, as domestic demand grew strongly, according to traffic figures released on Oct. 14. On the same day the airline opened an early sale for international flights in summer 2027.
Domestic passenger numbers rose 15% to 1.60 million in September, while the domestic load factor, the share of seats filled, climbed 1.3 points to 94%. International traffic grew more slowly, up 2% to 2.67 million passengers, with the international load factor slipping 1.5 points to 85.2%.
Nine-month picture
Over January-September, Pegasus flew 33.43 million passengers, up 5% from 31.94 million a year earlier, on 183,848 flights. Domestic travel drove the increase: domestic passengers rose 13% to 12.97 million, while international passengers were flat at 20.45 million compared with 20.48 million a year earlier.
The overall load factor for the nine months was 86%, down 1.4 points, as the airline added 6% more seats than a year earlier.
The figures reflect a broader pattern in Turkish aviation this year, with domestic routes growing faster than international ones as regional conflicts disrupt some foreign markets.
Early sale for summer 2027
Pegasus, which is based at Istanbul’s Sabiha Gökçen Airport on the Asian side of the city, opened a discount campaign for international flights in the 2027 summer season. Fares on its basic "Light" package start at 11 euros plus taxes on selected international routes.
The offer covers travel between March 28 and Oct. 30, 2027. Tickets must be bought through the Pegasus website or mobile app between 09:30 on Oct. 14 and 23:59 on Oct. 15, Türkiye time. A total of 250,000 seats are included, and the discounted fares vary by flight, date and availability. Cabin and checked baggage can also be added at reduced prices during the campaign.
As with most low-cost carriers, the headline fare covers only a small personal item, so travellers should factor in baggage, seat selection and airport taxes when comparing prices.
One route dropped
Separately, Pegasus is ending its flights between Sabiha Gökçen and Tuzla in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the last service scheduled for Oct. 23, Turizm Güncel reported on Oct. 13. The airline has also stopped selling summer 2027 tickets on the route, citing fleet and network planning. Hungarian low-cost carrier Wizz Air is expected to take a larger role at Tuzla after Pegasus leaves.
Pegasus, one of the main low-cost options for visitors flying into Istanbul from Europe, recently completed its takeover of Czech Airlines and the Smartwings Group.
Sources
- Pegasus’ta iç hatlar öne çıktı: Yolcu sayısı yüzde 15 arttı (haber.aero)
- Pegasus’tan 2027 yaz sezonu biletlerinde indirim kampanyası (Turizm Güncel)
- Pegasus o hatta olan uçuşlarını durdurdu! Bilet satışları iptal (Turizm Güncel)
Photo: MarcelX42 / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
