- Around 300 guests attend industry congress in Antalya -

  SunExpress, a joint venture of Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines, hosted around 300 industry partners for its “35 Years to the Sun & Beyond” event in Belek, Türkiye.   Attendees included international travel agency and tour operator partners with several from the UK, airport representatives, ground handling partners and media representatives. During presentations, panel discussions and networking events, participants had the opportunity to gain insights into Türkiye as a year-round destination and discuss the future development of this top destination.   Tour operators including Shaun Morton (CEO of On the Beach), Deniz Uğur (CEO of Bentour Reisen) and Gerald Kassner (CEO of Schauinsland-Reisen) discussed Türkiye as a booming travel destination. Despite its high popularity and many returning guests, they see potential for further growth, particularly through an extended summer season and stronger positioning beyond beach vacations.   Türkiye is increasingly focusing on diversifying its tourism offerings aiming to achieve sustainable growth for the destination and promoting cultural and gastronomic experiences in particular, reported Erkan Yağci (President of the Türkiye Hoteliers Federation (TÜROFED)), Kaan Kavaloğlu (Präsident of the Mediterranian Touristic Hoteliers and Investors Association) and Sinan Seha Türkseven (Acting General Manager of the Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA)).   Prof. Dr. Sedef Çokay Kepçe (Head of Excavation Antalya Perge Archaeological Site) and pro-extreme athlete Savaş Çoban discussed the importance of historical sites, such as the ancient city of Perge near Antalya and Ephesus near Izmir.   Opportunities for sports enthusiasts were also discussed. This included golf tourism, which is a rapidly growing market, particularly in the Belek region with its 16 attractive golf courses. Young golfers in particular are important drivers of the market, the participating golf resort operators and managers of golf travel agencies concluded.   Gudrun Teloeken (General Manager Fraport TAV Antalya Airport) and Lars Redeligx (CEO Düsseldorf Airport) see the expansion of the airport infrastructure as an important step towards working together with all partners - such as ground handling and airlines - in the interests of holistic customer satisfaction.

SunExpress has unveiled the SunExpress Golf Club - a unique loyalty programme designed exclusively for golf travellers. SunExpress is the joint venture business between Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines. Members of the SunExpress Golf Club programme will benefit from travel perks such as the SunPriority Package (priority at check-in, boarding and baggage reclaim), free lounge access with fast track at the Antalya Airport, as well as free golf baggage check-in. At participating golf clubs, members will receive discounts, including free rounds of golf. Also applicable are hotel upgrades (subject to availability), free transfers and discounts on other green fees. Travel agency partners can book the membership of the SunExpress Golf Club programme for their customers at a discounted price, while customers can secure virtual membership for 419 GBP  per year through direct sales via the SunExpress website. Half-year offers (January-June and July-December) are available for 249 GBP. Michael Schober, Senior Manager B2B Relations at SunExpress said: “We are excited to introduce the SunExpress Golf Club programme to better cater to the needs of our customers.” “The Golf Club connects people from all SunExpress destinations, an initiative further reinforced by hosting exclusive golf tournaments.” The region around Belek, Antalya offers first-class golf courses and luxury resorts  - making it a top choice for golfers of all levels. The participating partners include: Bilyana Golf Holidays, Cullinan Belek Hotel, Gloria Hotels & Resorts & Gloria Golf Club (including 1 x free green fee) Antalya Golf Club, Voyage Belek Golf & Spa Hotel & Maxx Royal Montgomerie Golf Club, Regnum Carya Hotel (free entrance for Land of Legends Theme Park) and Sueno Hotels SunExpress offers direct flights to Antalya/Belek year-round from major hubs in the UK and Ireland. This winter season it flies from and to London Gatwick, Stansted, Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle, Bristol and Dublin.

  SunExpress, a joint venture between Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines, has launched the SunExpress Golf Club - a unique loyalty programme designed exclusively for golf travellers.   Members of the SunExpress Golf Club programme will benefit from attractive travel advantages such as the SunPriority Package (priority at check-in, boarding and baggage reclaim), free lounge access with fast track at the Antalya Airport, as well as free golf baggage check-in. At participating golf clubs, members will receive various discounts, including free rounds of golf. Also included are hotel upgrades (subject to availability), free transfers and discounts on other green fees.   Travel agency partners can book the membership of the SunExpress Golf Club programme for their customers at a discounted price, while customers can secure virtual membership for 419 GBP  per year through direct sales via the SunExpress website (www.sunexpressgolfclub.com). Half-year offers (January-June and July-December) are available for 249 GBP.   Michael Schober, Senior Manager B2B Relations at SunExpress said: “We are excited to introduce the SunExpress Golf Club programme to better cater to the needs of our customers. With the largest flight offering to Antalya, especially during the winter season, we aim to make travel more convenient and accessible. The Golf Club connects people from all SunExpress destinations, an initiative further reinforced by hosting exclusive golf tournaments.   “The memberships serve as an excellent sales tool for our travel agency and tour operator partners, helping them make their offerings even more attractive. Additional benefits for our members include a discounted rate at our member`s tournaments as well as further discounts on hotel services will be added.”   With the SunExpress Golf Club loyalty programme, travel agencies can offer their customers first-class trips to Antalya, one of the best golf regions in Europe. Sunny and warm autumn and spring weather, as well as mild temperatures in the winter months create ideal conditions all year round. The region around Belek, Antalya stands for first-class golf courses, luxurious resorts and excellent service - making it a top choice for golfers of all levels. The participating partners include:  

• Bilyana Golf Holidays
• Cullinan Belek Hotel
• Gloria Hotels & Resorts & Gloria Golf Club (among other things: 1 x free green fee)
• Antalya Golf Club
• Voyage Belek Golf & Spa Hotel & Maxx Royal Montgomerie Golf Club
• Regnum Carya Hotel (free entrance for Land of Legends Theme Park)
• Sueno Hotels

  SunExpress offers extensive direct connections to Antalya/Belek year-round from major hubs in the UK and Ireland. This winter season it includes flights from and to Gatwick, Stansted, Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle, Bristol and Dublin.

  SunExpress, a joint venture between Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines, will once again host a golf tournament for travel professionals in Türkiye early next year.   Between 15th and 18th January, 2025, participants will meet at the Rixos Premium Belek on the Turkish Riviera, where they will have the opportunity to work on their handicap on some of the best golf courses in the region, against a scenic backdrop and in competition with their industry peers.   The SunExpress tournament offers tourism professionals from all over the world the opportunity to experience Türkiye up close as an attractive golf travel destination. They will learn about SunExpress’ 2025 flight programme and experience the ‘Best Leisure Airline’, according to Skytrax, first-hand, and its golf travel offers.   After a training round on the “Montgomery Maxx Royal Golf Course”, participants will partake in a tournament on the renowned “Gloria Golf Course (Old Course)”. The event will conclude with a festive gala dinner where the tournament winner will be announced.   James Harrison, Country Manager Sales UK & Ireland for SunExpress, said: “We are delighted that our successful Golf Cup is entering its fourth year. We’re particularly proud to be introducing our partners to Türkiye as an attractive year-round destination for golf travel, besides the classic summer beach vacation.”   The Cup will also showcase Türkiye as an all-year destination. The Antalya/Belek region is one of the country’s most attractive golfing destinations, and not just in summer. With warm and sunny weather in the autumn and spring, as well as mild winter months, the region offers golf lovers consistently good conditions for their game.   Thanks to first-class golf courses and luxurious resorts combined with excellent service, Belek is a top choice for golfers of all levels and length of stays. With numerous direct connections from the UK and Ireland combined with convenient baggage allowances, SunExpress is the ideal flight partner for golf trips to Türkiye.   Interested parties can register for the SunExpress Golf Cup by 6th November 2024 directly here: https://www.sunexpress.com/en-gb/sunexpress-golfcup/   The all-inclusive participation fee is £199. If there are more registrations than spots available, the decision will be made by lot.

SunExpress, the joint venture of Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa, will strengthen its partnership with South African Airways (SAA). It plans to expand operations in the upcoming European winter season. Building on the successful first year of the partnership, SunExpress will now double its leased fleet to SAA, providing four Boeing 737-800 aircraft with cockpit as well as maintenance crew for a six-month period. The first aircraft will start operations at the beginning of November. The second season of damp lease operations will feature a fresh cabin configuration with 16 premium seats and 159 economy seats. This expanded capacity will enable SunExpress to support SAA with 134 weekly flights across three routes. Entering its second year, the agreement was further enhanced with the start of a specialised training programme for SAA cabin crew members at SunExpress' headquarters in Antalya and at South African Airways Headquarters in Johannesburg. Max Kownatzki, CEO of SunExpress, said: "Doubling our leased fleet to SAA marks a significant step in managing seasonality as we continue to grow our fleet.” "The dedicated training we provide to SAA also underscores willingness to leverage more opportunities together." SunExpress has a strong presence on the Turkish Riviera and in Anatolia. In 2024, it is operating a total of 200 routes to 68 destinations across 35 countries.   

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SunExpress has named James Harrison as Country Sales Manager, UK & Ireland Harrison brings3 0 years of aviation industry experience in this role for SunExpress, the joint venture of Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines. He held sales and management roles with airlines including British Airways, Gulf Air and most recently, Etihad Airways. At Etihad he was General Manager UK & Ireland from 2015 to 2021. He takes up the new role alongside SunExpress' GSA Aviareps in both the UK and Ireland. He was previously Aviareps' Head of Aviation. Tobias Bracht, Head of Sales for SunExpress, said: "The UK and Ireland is a strategically important and fast-growing market for SunExpress.” “James will play a vital role in supporting growth and developing our travel industry relationships." SunExpress operates 136 flights per week to Türkiye from nine UK airports this summer. In 2025, it will launch services from Glasgow and Liverpool. In Ireland, SunExpress offers three weekly services to Antalya and seven weekly flights to Izmir from Dublin. "I'm thrilled to be bringing my experience to drive their growth in the UK and Ireland," Harrison said. 

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SunExpress, the joint venture of Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines, will introduce two Türkiye flight routes from Glasgow next summer. The airline will offer six flights a week from Glasgow next summer – four weekly Antalya flights and twice weekly to Dalaman The Dalaman and Antalya flights start in early April 2025. Bookings for both routes are now open. Tobias Bracht, Head of Sales for SunExpress, said: “We are thrilled to announce the launch of our exciting new routes from Glasgow direct to Antalya and Dalaman - two of Türkiye’s most popular destinations.” SunExpress offers varied ticket fare options with a basic SunEco fare including at least 20kgs of checked baggage on international flights. For an extra cost, passengers can upgrade to SunClassic and SunPremium fares with added benefits such as increased baggage allowance, pre-flight seat selection, meals and no flight change fees. 

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London Stansted's European route network has been further boosted with new Turkiye flights from leisure airline SunExpress. The Turkish carrier, a joint venture between Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines, operates three flights a week to Izmir, Turkey’s third largest city. The service will increase to five weekly flights in summer 2024. In a further boost the airline will launch more Turkiye flights to Antalya, Adana and Gaziantep next summer. With over 70 weekly flights to Antalya, Ankara, Bodrum, Dalaman, Izmir, and Istanbul, Turkey is a top destination for London Stansted travelers. Flights can be booked at sunexpress.com.