Newcastle International Airport has welcomed a brand new airline which will offer thrice-weekly flights to the 'Turkish Riviera' this summer.
SunExpress, which was founded in 1989 as a joint venture between Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines, was named the World's Best Leisure Airline at the World Airline Awards in 2022. It has already commenced flights to Antalya, with bookings already strong enough for the airline to expand its services and add winter flights to its programme.
Flights will depart twice a week on Tuesdays and Saturdays, increasing to three throughout summer with an additional Thursday departure added from May 2023. Due to high demand, SunExpress has also announced it will further expand its services to operate beyond summer and during the winter 2023-24 period.
Read more: Foreign Office issues warning for travellers visiting Turkey for weight loss treatments
Passengers travelling on the first flight were welcomed at check-in with an inaugural celebration to mark the official launch of the new route on Tuesday. Ann and Ron were travelling to Antalya for the first time to celebrate Ann's 70th birthday, with Ann saying: "It was exciting getting on board the first SunExpress flight from Newcastle and we are excited to spend a week in the sun in Antalya."
Chris Ion, aviation development manager at Newcastle Airport, said: "We are delighted to welcome SunExpress to Newcastle International Airport. Antalya is one of the most popular and vibrant holiday destinations in the Mediterranean, offering year round sunshine, golden beaches, excellent golf courses and hotels.
"The addition of SunExpress will offer more choice to passengers looking to take a well-earned holiday to Turkey this summer and we look forward to working with the airline to develop their services from Newcastle.
Peter Glade, SunExpress commercial director, said: "Our vibrant and diverse home city offers everything that makes for a successful holiday: great hospitality, crystal-clear water, beautiful beaches, excellent cuisine, and unbeatable value for money. With our new route from Newcastle to Antalya and expanded services to operate beyond summer, we continue to increase our footprint further in the UK."
Flights start at £78.99 one-way and all tickets include at least 20kg of hold baggage as standard. For more information, visit the SunExpress website.
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