Pegasus Airlines will launch flights from Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen to Sofia, Bulgaria, Chisinau, Moldova, Aktau, Kazakhstan, and Bratislava, Slovakia in May. From May 1, the Sofia (SOF) route will operate three times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Flights to Chisinau (RMO) will begin on May 5 with two weekly departures, while the Aktau (SCO) route will start on May 12, operating twice a week. Flights to Bratislava (BTS) will commence on May 15, running twice a week on Wednesdays and Sundays.
Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport, which completed 2023 with a record-breaking passenger traffic, increased passenger numbers by 22% in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the same period last year. During the January-March period, the airport hosted 9,432,083 passengers. With the addition of these 4 new destinations in May, it continues to expand its flight network in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
Direct Flight from Istanbul to Bratislava
Starting on May 15, Bratislava will be directly connected to Istanbul for the first time.
In response to increasing travel demand, Sabiha Gökçen will also connect for the first time to Chisinau, Moldova, with flights starting on May 5.
Additionally, the airport will further enhance its Kazakhstan connections in May. After Turkistan, Almaty, Shymkent, and Nur-Sultan (Astana), Aktau (SCO) will become the fifth destination in Kazakhstan connected to Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen.
These new routes are expected to bring 102,000 additional international passengers to the airport for the remainder of the year.
With the addition of a second runway, Sabiha Gökçen now serves 40 domestic and 122 international routes, connecting to 162 destinations in 53 countries. Passenger numbers continue to increase, breaking records in 2024.
“Our European and Asian Connections Are Diversifying”
Serhat Soğukpınar, CEO of ISG, said:
“We want everyone to visit Istanbul, one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and experience its beauty. As the variety of flights from Sabiha Gökçen increases, we are getting closer to this wish, and we are also making access to Istanbul and Turkey more comfortable and easy as ‘The City’s Airport.’ We will continue to work on increasing the number of destinations and strengthening our partnerships through new collaborations. With the addition of Sofia, Chisinau, Aktau, and Bratislava to our network in May, our connections to Europe and Asia will diversify even further. We wish this to be a success for our country.”
