AirAsia Seals First Codeshare With Pegasus, Bridges Asia and Europe

 

New codeshare with Turkey's Pegasus Airlines links Kuala Lumpur to five European cities via Istanbul, with daily flights and fares from RM799.

 

AirAsia has signed its first-ever codeshare agreement, teaming up with Turkey's largest low-cost carrier, Pegasus Airlines, to open seamless connections between Southeast Asia and Europe through Istanbul, the two airlines announced at AirAsia's headquarters in Sepang, Malaysia, on Wednesday.

 

The partnership, unveiled before members of the media and witnessed by Turkey's ambassador to Malaysia Nevzat Uyanık, will progressively open access to more than 100 routes between Asia and Europe, combining AirAsia's Southeast Asian network with Pegasus's reach across Europe from its hub at Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport.

 

Five European destinations will be added from launch: Stansted (London), Vnukovo (Moscow), Esenboğa (Ankara), Zurich and Athens, all connecting through Kuala Lumpur and Istanbul. AirAsia will also lift its Kuala Lumpur–Istanbul frequency from four times weekly to daily by February 2027, up from the direct link AirAsia X has operated since November 2025.

 

 

Opening the event, Farouk Kamal, Deputy Group Chief Executive Officer of AirAsia Group Berhad, told guests the tie-up "marks the start of many more opportunities to come between the two airlines" and reaffirmed the group's ambition to become the world's first low-cost network carrier.

 

He said he had personally tried the product being announced on a trip last year and described the experience as "great" before handing over to colleagues to reveal the details on stage.

 

 

 

'Meaningful milestone' in 25th year

In a statement accompanying the announcement, Bo Lingam, Group CEO of AirAsia Group, said the codeshare was a landmark moment as the airline marks its 25th anniversary. 

 

"As AirAsia's first-ever codeshare, this partnership marks a meaningful milestone in our 25th year and the next chapter in our evolution from a leading Asean low-cost carrier into a truly global travel network," he said. "By connecting our extensive network across Asia with Pegasus's strong European network from Istanbul, spanning 160 destinations across 56 countries, we are making Europe more accessible to our guests while creating a gateway for European travellers to discover Asean and beyond." 

 

 

On stage representing Pegasus was Elifnur Dogruoz, the airline's Group Head of Network Planning and Airline Collaborations, who told the audience the two carriers shared a common philosophy despite operating at opposite ends of Asia. 

 

"At AirAsia your promise is 'now everyone can fly.' At Pegasus we say everyone has the right to fly – different words, but the same belief that air travel should be accessible for more people across more places," she said, adding that Sabiha Gökçen was "more than a home" for Pegasus and a key gateway between Europe and Asia, just as Kuala Lumpur was for AirAsia. 
 

 

 

 

She thanked Malaysia's civil aviation authorities and airport operators for supporting the deal.

 

Pegasus chief executive Güliz Öztürk, who also did not attend the Kuala Lumpur event, added in a statement issued alongside the announcement:

 

 

 

"Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen is a natural connecting point between Europe and Asia. That AirAsia's first-ever codeshare is with Pegasus Airlines is a source of pride: it reflects the network we have built from Istanbul over two decades and a hub that continues to grow. Our guests can now reach Kuala Lumpur seamlessly and, from there, AirAsia's network of more than 140 destinations across Asia-Pacific."

 

 

 

How the codeshare works

Presenting the mechanics of the partnership to media, AirAsia's Chief Commercial Officer, Amanda Woo, explained that travellers booking through AirAsia will receive both boarding passes at check-in, with baggage checked straight through to their final destination. 

 

"One journey, one itinerary, a seamless experience," she said, describing how a passenger flying from Kuala Lumpur to Athens via Istanbul would simply follow the signs to their next gate in Istanbul without needing to check in again or collect their bags.

 

Woo said the combined network would ultimately connect more than 100 routes between Asia and Europe and confirmed a further sweetener for early bookers: AirAsia will raise its Kuala Lumpur–Istanbul service from four times weekly to daily next year to meet expected demand. 

 

 

 

Launch fares start from RM799 (~THB 6,585) all-in one-way from Kuala Lumpur to the five new destinations, with return fares from as low as USD199 (~THB 6,630) from Ankara, Moscow, Athens and Zurich, and USD299 (~THB 9,960) from London. Bookings open via AirAsia MOVE from 2 to 6 September for travel up to 27 March 2027.

 

The new connectivity also runs in reverse, with European travellers able to connect through Istanbul to Kuala Lumpur and onwards across AirAsia's Fly-Thru network spanning Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, China, Vietnam and beyond.

 

 

What it means for Thailand

Asked directly what the milestone meant for Thai travellers, Woo said the deal was significant for the group as a whole rather than any single market but stressed it would strengthen the broader network between Thailand and Europe. 

 

"This is one of the biggest milestones for AirAsia as a group, not specifically for any one market, but for our Thai guests and AirAsia Thailand, this definitely complements the overall network between Thailand and Europe," she said. 

 

 

She went further, hinting at a dedicated codeshare for Thai travellers in the pipeline: "I think in the future you will potentially see another big announcement of a partnership we've made, hopefully by next year, for codesharing between another airline via Don Mueang International Airport, Bangkok, Thailand."

 

The Nation also pressed the airline on expected traffic gains from the Pegasus tie-up. Asked what increase in connecting passenger traffic or load factor the partnership was expected to generate over the next 12 months, Woo said: "We're looking at an uplift of at least 15 to 20% in load." 

 

The comments come as AirAsia's Thai unit continues to anchor the group's regional performance. Group-wide passenger volumes rose 9% year-on-year to nearly 19 million in the first quarter of 2026, supported by Thai AirAsia carrying 6.2 million passengers (up 11% YoY) with an 88% load factor and a 42% domestic market share.

 

In the second quarter of 2026, AirAsia Group intentionally trimmed network capacity by 11% year-on-year to navigate peak fuel price volatility, prioritising yield management over sheer volume. Despite the regional capacity tightening, Thai AirAsia delivered 4.03 million passengers and preserved a dominant 37% domestic share, continuing to lead the group’s regional network footprint.

 

 

Questions from the region

Journalists from across Southeast Asia used the Q&A session to press for detail on how the partnership would play out in their home markets. 

 

Asked about the outlook for Philippine travellers, Woo pointed to existing AirAsia services from Manila and Cebu into Kuala Lumpur that would now connect onwards via the codeshare to the five new European cities, adding that both airlines were "ready and willing to expand" further destinations as regulations allow. 

 

Pressed on whether Filipino travellers should now book that long-dreamed-of trip to Europe, she said: "We hope that with the launch of Kuala Lumpur to Istanbul and the rest of Europe, we'll give everyone in the Philippines a chance to travel beyond Asia."

 

An Indonesian journalist asked how the deal would benefit travellers connecting via Jakarta. Woo said Indonesia was "a big market" with a high share of passengers already flying into Kuala Lumpur, calling it "definitely a key market" with room to grow under the new codeshare.

 

Questioned on whether the Pegasus deal signalled a shift away from AirAsia's previously announced plans for a Bahrain hub linking to Europe, Woo confirmed those plans remained on track for March 2027, "subject to the geopolitical situation", describing the two initiatives as targeting different markets: Istanbul for Europe and Bahrain as a springboard toward the Middle East and Africa.

 

 

On the fleet, an aviation journalist asked whether AirAsia would shift from widebody to narrowbody aircraft to serve the growing Istanbul demand. Woo said the route currently operates on the Airbus A330 widebody fleet, with newer long-range narrowbody aircraft due to join the fleet to support the planned increase to daily flights.

 

Closing the briefing, Woo thanked the project team behind the launch, noting that the partnership was "just the beginning" of a broader push to connect AirAsia's Asian network with new international partners.

 

She also revealed a slate of upcoming European destinations—including Munich, Prague, Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester, and Edinburgh—which she indicated will be available soon.

 

For fares and full terms, travellers can book via the AirAsia MOVE app or website, with the promotional window running until 6 September for travel through to 27 March 2027.