Summary
- Pegasus Airlines has inducted its 100th aircraft – an Airbus A321neo it named Cumhuriyet – to commemorate the centenary of the Republic of Türkiye.
- The A321neo is the newest member of Pegasus Airlines’ modern fleet, which is among the youngest in Türkiye with an average age of just 4.5 years.
- Pegasus Airlines has expanded its A321neo fleet, with almost 30 new aircraft since 2021 and plans to receive another four by the end of the year.
Turkish carrier Pegasus Airlines has inducted its 100th aircraft, an Airbus A321neo. The narrowbody has been named Cumhuriyet (which translates to ‘Republic’) to commemorate the centenary of the Republic of Türkiye.
Pegasus welcomes 100th aircraft
The airline’s newest aircraft departed Airbus’ facility at Hamburg Finkenwerder (XFW) on Saturday, arriving at Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport at around 18:00 local time. The A321neo (registration: TC-RDP) was greeted by a traditional water cannon salute.
Mehmet T. Nane, Chairperson of the Board at Pegasus Airlines, and Güliz Öztürk, CEO of Pegasus Airlines, were on hand to take delivery of the new jet in Hamburg.
Photo: Pegasus Airlines
Öztürk commented,
“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.”
Special centenary livery
The aircraft arrived in Istanbul sporting a special livery in honor of the Republic of Türkiye 100th anniversary. The livery includes the silhouette and signature of founding father Mustafa Kemal Atatürk on its tail, along with the words “100th” towards the front of the fuselage.
Youngest fleet in Türkiye
Pegasus claims its fleet is the youngest in the country, with an average age of just 4.5 years. Its A321neo fleet is particularly youthful at less than two years old on average. Since 2021, Pegasus has taken delivery of almost 30 new A321neos – TC-RDP is the ninth aircraft delivery in 2023, with another four planes expected by the end of the year.
Öztürk added,
“The A321 is widely recognized 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.”
Photo: Pegasus Airlines
The carrier’s fleet now consists of the Airbus A320ceo, A320neo, A321neo, and Boeing 737-800. This summer, Pegasus announced it would increase its A321neo order by another 36 planes, taking its total order with Airbus to 150, 108 of which are for the A321neo. The Turkish low-cost carrier has emerged strongly from the pandemic, recording what it declared “the highest operational profitability in the world” over 2022.
Have you ever flown on one of Pegasus Airlines’ Airbus A321neos? Let us know your stories in the comments.