Pegasus releases its traffic results for the first quarter of 2014

According to the Public Disclosure Platform (KAP) traffic data for January-March 2014, Pegasus Airlines, Turkey's second largest airline, has continued its rapid double-digit growth.

Such operational data as total number of guests carried, seat capacity, passenger load factor and block hours have continued to show a momentous increase for the beginning of 2014.

The traffic data for the first quarter of 2014 shows a year-on-year increase in the number of guests by 25.4% to 4.08 million; an increase in seat capacity by 24.7% to 5.18 million and growth in the load factor of 78.7% compared with the same period last year.

The number of guests taking domestic flights by Pegasus in Turkey was 2.61 million for the first quarter of 2014, compared with 2.1 million for the same period in 2013, while the number of guests on international flights rose by 28.3% in the first quarter of 2014 to 1.47 million and Pegasus' network expanded to 80 destinations, compared with 70 at the end of the first quarter of 2013.

As from 2 May Pegasus flies to 83 destinations in 34 countries, including 30 destinations within Turkey and 53 in the rest of the world. For the first quarter of 2014, Pegasus, Turkey's fastest-growing airline, had a domestic load factor of 81.5% and an international load factor of 74.3% for flights in the rest of the world, making an average passenger load factor of 78.7%.

During January-March 2014, Pegasus also increased its domestic market share from 26.4% to 27.3% compared to 2013 and increased its international market share from 10.7% to 11.6% compared to the same period in 2013, comprising an overall market share increase in market share from 13.7% to 14.4%.

Pegasus speeds into 2014 with faster than sector average growth!

Sertac Haybat, Pegasus Airlines General Manager, said: "We ended 2013 with double-digit growth figures. We have entered 2014 with the same rapid growth. We are very proud of our traffic data for the first quarter of 2014 which shows faster growth than the sector average. According to figures from Turkey's General Directorate of State Airports Authority (DHMI) there has been an increase in overall guest numbers for the sector in Turkey by 17% during the first quarter of 2014. However, we have seen an increase of 25.4% in the growth of our guest numbers for the same period. We are very happy to have expanded 1.4 times faster than the rest of the sector.”