SunExpress/Eminoğlu: Aiming for 7% Growth in Ankara by 2025
Foreks - Gürsel Baran, the Chairman of the Ankara Chamber of Commerce (ATO), emphasized the importance of direct flights from Ankara not only for the economy of the capital but also for all surrounding provinces. He stated, “The increase in direct flights from Ankara to international destinations will enhance trade and exports for all provinces connected by high-speed trains, roads, and air travel, thereby boosting their economies.”
Tuncay Eminoğlu, Deputy General Manager of SunExpress Airlines, which was established through a partnership between Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa and has been operational for approximately 35 years, visited ATO President Gürsel Baran at the family company Dost Boya.
During the visit, Baran indicated that increasing the number of direct flights from Ankara to international destinations has always been a priority for them, and they express this whenever possible. He noted that linking the capital to international destinations through direct flights is crucial not only for Ankara’s economy but for neighboring provinces as well. Baran outlined that Ankara's geographical location in the center of Turkey and its status as a hub for road networks and high-speed trains positions it for enhanced connectivity. “The increase in direct flights from Ankara will improve trade and exports for all provinces that we connect with high-speed trains, roads, and air travel, thus developing their economies,” he stated.
Baran highlighted that the development of health tourism is contingent upon increasing the number of direct flights from Esenboğa Airport. He noted that while Ankara was once regarded merely as the center of public administration, it has transformed into a city of universities, hospitals, and industry—becoming a center for the defense industry and health tourism, which is continuously progressing in production, trade, and exports. He emphasized the need for developing health tourism in order to increase foreign revenue, stating, “Our hospitals and healthcare facilities are of high quality, making them suitable for health tourism, and our thermal facilities also support this sector. Patients’ visitors do not prefer connecting flights to seek treatment. We cannot develop health tourism without direct flights from Esenboğa to international destinations.”
Baran also pointed out the significance of direct flights in relation to the development of trade and exports, mentioning, “When we have to take connecting flights to participate in fairs and establish business connections, we lose a day on the road.”
He expressed pride in the achievements of SunExpress, which operates at Esenboğa, and requested new destination proposals from the airline.
Deputy General Manager of SunExpress, Tuncay Eminoğlu, provided information about the airline's flights originating from Ankara, Antalya, and Izmir, explaining that the slowdown in production by Boeing, a US aircraft manufacturer, has affected SunExpress’s growth targets as well. Eminoğlu stated, “We transport expatriates, business people, and tourists to Ankara. As SunExpress, we aim for a 7% growth rate in Ankara by 2025.”
Eminoğlu mentioned that SunExpress aims to increase the number of aircraft in their fleet and has placed new aircraft orders. He also noted that at the 6th Service Exporters Association Awards Ceremony organized by the Service Exporters Association in November 2024, they ranked third in the Passenger Transportation Services category, following THY and Pegasus. Eminoğlu, after listening to Baran's requests, indicated that they could work on adding new destinations to the existing flight routes.