SunExpress expanding number of flights to UK

SunExpress, the joint airline venture between Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa, has announced that it will expand its capacity and add 10,000 additional seats across five routes between the UK and Turkey’s most popular holiday destinations during the 2025 summer season.

Extra summer seats due to increased popularity

Citing rising travel demand and increased popularity in Turkey by British tourists, SunExpress have announced that the 10,000 extra seats will be available to purchase for new flights between the months of August and October this year, providing more options for late summer holidays.

The additional flights will operate from London Gatwick, London Stansted, Bristol Airport, and Birmingham Airport towards Antalya Airport in Turkey. Another flight will be available from Edinburgh Airport to Turkey’s Dalaman Airport.

Known for beautiful coastlines, sandy beaches, adventure, and unique nature, Antalya and Dalaman are among the most visited tourist destinations in Turkey – particularly drawing interest from UK travellers during the summer holiday period.

SunExpress targeting 17 million passengers in 2025

SunExpress is based in Antalya city and currently operates a fleet of 85 planes – flying on 237 routes towards 35 different countries. Data shows that revenue increased by 23% to reach 2.2 billion Euros in 2024, while earnings before interest and taxes amounted to 195 million Euros.

Last year, the airline served a total of 15 million passengers with a load factor of 86%. This was a new record for the company after flying a total of 12.6 million passengers in 2023. At the start of this year, the airline announced targets including 17 million total passengers in 2025.

Record British tourists visiting Turkey

Official data shows that a record 4.4 million British tourists travelled to Turkey in 2024, up from 3.8 million in 2023 and 3.0 million in 2022. Antalya Airport and Dalaman Airport provide British travellers with access to popular cities and regions including Fethiye, Ovacik, Antalya City, Belek, and Kalkan.