New Stansted to Istanbul flights launched
[October 8th 2008]
As Turkey becomes an increasingly popular holiday destination for Brits, Pegasus Airlines is launching another flight to Istanbul.
The new flight from Stansted airport to Istanbul and Ercan in Northern Cyprus on Fridays will be Pegasus’ fifth on this route. Flights will depart Stansted at 13.15 and arrive in Istanbul at 18.50. Return flights leave at 10.40 and arrive at Stansted at 12.25. Fares start from £40 one way including taxes and charges.
“By investing in London and increasing the frequency on this route, we are able to offer our valued customers greater choice and flexibility than ever before appealing to holiday makers and business travellers alike, especially with the wide availability of quick and easy connecting flights from our Istanbul hub to 16 destinations around Turkey and North Cyprus,” explains Pegasus Airlines chairman, Ali Sabanci.
It was only last month that Pegasus announced a fourth weekly flight from Stansted to Istanbul, demonstrating the demand on this route. Low cost carrier easyJet is set to launch flights from Gatwick to Istanbul in December. And Scottish low cost airline Flyglobespan will launch new flights to the Turkish resort of Dalaman from Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen airports next summer.
The growing popularity of Turkish holidays this year has come as Brits look for better value due to the weakness of the pound against the euro. Many travel agents are reporting that Turkey has been more popular than the traditional British favourite Spain.
The 16 connecting domestic routes Pegasus offers across Turkey makes it easy to reach some of the most popular Turkish resorts from Istanbul, including Dalaman and Antalya on the Turkish Riviera, and Bodrum and Izmir on the Aegean Sea.
Pegasus is the fastest growing airline in Turkey. At the end of August it took delivery of the third aircraft in a total order of 24 new generation Boeing 737-800s, which will allow it to continue to expand its route network. The airline carried 4.1 million passengers in 2007, an increase of 20 times on the previous year. Pegasus Airlines was set up in 1990 as a joint venture including Irish airline Aer Lingus, but was taken over by ESAS Holding in 2005.
Written by: Nick Purdom