MOVING TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

The average age of our fleet is 4,5 years. We have the youngest fleet in Türkiye, the third youngest in Europe, and the seventh youngest in the world.

Operating a young fleet is very significant for a sustainable future, as  younger aircraft means a more efficient airline. A more efficient airline uses less fuel and produces less carbon emissions.

A new environmental hero: Airbus Neo

• The new generation Airbus Neo series aircraft are up to 20% more efficient in unit jet fuel consumption and carbon emissions compared to the previous generation of aircraft.
• 84% of our fleet consist of Airbus 320 or 321neo aircraft. While we have increased our passenger numbers by 32% since 2016, we have reduced our emission intensity by 25% during the same period, thanks to our new generation Neo aircraft.

We did not launch Turkish aviation, but we transformed it!

• We have pioneered innovative ideas and practices by breaking away from traditional norms in aviation.
• In 2016, we transitioned to a paperless cockpit with our own Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) system. As the capabilities of the EFB have increased over the years, we introduced an end-to-end digital experience in our operations with our Smart Family software.
• We are continually developing applications to reduce fuel consumption and emissions on our flights. Various initiatives, such as optimising altitude utilisation, managing aircraft weight, performing engine washing, and implementing AI-supported planning for catering products, contribute to ongoing efficiency improvements.

In addition to our aircraft, we also transformed our ground equipment and our facilities! 

• At our home base, Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport, our mobile passenger stairs generate electricity with solar panels.
• Instead of diesel generators, our aircraft are now powered by electric battery-operated generators when parked.
• Our tractors, which transport luggage between our aircraft and the terminal, are powered by electric energy.
• With these investments, we have converted 23% of our engine-powered ground equipment into electric vehicles.
• We are also converting the energy we use at our HQ and Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport into environmentally friendly renewable energy. In 2022 and 2023, we balanced our electricity consumption at these locations by investing in renewable energy through the International Green Energy Certificate (I-REC/Yek-G). Additionally, in 2023, we established infrastructure to monitor and reduce energy consumption more closely across all our facilities.

A significant portion of our carbon footprint originates from the jet fuel used in our aircraft. The energy transformation required for jet fuel is one of the primary objectives for achieving sustainable aviation.

On Tuesday, 1 March 2022, we operated our first domestic flight with a Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) blend between Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport and Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport. Throughout 2022 and 2023, we continued to use SAF-added fuel on select flights departing from Izmir and Ankara. In 2023, we became the first airline to use SAF at our home base by implementing this practice on specific flights departing from Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport.

In 2024, we expanded our international SAF supply network to include France and the UK, with plans to extend this supply network and increase volume in the coming years.

We remain committed to collaborating with all stakeholders to advance SAF production in Türkiye.

Additionally, we are exploring longer term opportunities, including participating in projects focused on hydrogen energy, the future fuel for aviation.

We make seemingly simple yet challenging changes. 

We are mindful of our on-board cabin waste and value effective waste management. In line with the waste management hierarchy, our efforts primarily focus on waste reduction, material reuse and ensuring efficient recycling practices for the waste generated.

Our approach begins with preventing surplus food production and food waste through on-demand catering options.

We implement measures to reduce in-cabin consumables. These include eliminating cardboard outer layers from the sandwiches on our Pegasus Cafe menu.

To promote reuse, we replaced disposable plastic cutlery with durable metal sets for our hot food service, significantly reducing plastic waste.

We also introduced R-PET cups made from 25% recycled plastic for our cold beverage service.

In collaboration with Pendik Municipality, we started separating recyclable packaging waste on all our flights in 2024. At our main base, Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport, separated packaging waste is directed to Pendik Municipality's Recycling Facility, segregated from mixed waste. We are actively collaborating with local stakeholders to extend this separated waste management practice to other domestic and international airports.

Continuing Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's goal to make Türkiye "the most prosperous and developed country," we awarded scholarships to 1,000 female university students in the 100th anniversary of the Turkish Republic.

Within the scope of this cooperation, which was the largest single grant in Turkish Education Foundation’s (TEV) history, 25% of the scholarship recipients came from the regions affected by the February 2023 earthquake in eastern Türkiye

Pegasus has 171 employees from 38 different countries in addition to Türkiye.

In 2023, we launched Harmony, our new Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion initiative. We established working groups and took action to develop specific initiatives and targets.

We introduced a comprehensive new training and awareness programme for our employees, combining online and face-to-face training sessions, workshops, podcasts, and innovative work platforms.

Additionally, we launched a new employee suggestion system called "FLYDEA." With FLYDEA, our employees are encouraged to submit their innovative ideas to improve our business processes.

• With our GoYoung programme, we enable young people to access career opportunities in their third year of university and offer them the opportunity to work full-time after their part-time internship with Pegasus.
• We cooperate with our partner NGOs to provide internship and job opportunities. Through the Women in Sales Network (WiSN), we offer internships to university students, giving them the chance to experience real employment and work environments in our company. In cooperation with Esas Sosyal First Chance, we support university graduates in gaining their first work experience in non-governmental organisations.
• With our Cadet programme, we support the flight training of young pilot candidates from the very first stages and aid their career development in civil aviation.
• We contribute to the training and employment of new cabin crew members through our cabin training partnerships.

Our colleagues who directly participate in our initiatives reveal the ways in which we contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

The Pegasus Sustainability Podcast began in January 2023 with the participation and support of our CEO Güliz Öztürk, and over the past 12 months, we have published 10 episodes under the themes:

• Pegasus and Sustainability
• Climate Action
• Gender Balance
• Responsible Production and Consumption
• Quality Education
• What is SAF?
• Optimisation is Our Business!
• Stakeholders and The Importance of The Value Chain
• Green Energy Challenges
• The Cost of Sustainability vs. The Cost of Unsustainability

Click here to discover our 2023 Harmony Report

We want to help young people soar into the future! In collaboration with the Support Foundation for Civil Society, we have initiated a grant programme aimed at enhancing youth participation in economic and social spheres.

We back civil society organisations addressing three core themes to empower young people: Environmental Protection and Combatting Climate Change, Youth Wellbeing, and Digital Literacy and Security.

By integrating BlindLook Audio Simulation technology into our website, mobile site and mobile app, we became the first EyeBrand airline in Türkiye.