According to news reports, Turkish Airlines, the airline with the most extensive global network, has made a binding offer. This was disclosed publicly.
This move would also include integrating the Air Europa loyalty program into the Turkish Airlines Smile system.
Turkish Airlines is a member of the Star Alliance, like Air Portugal. However, Air Portugal may also switch loyalty soon, which would give Star Alliance a handle with a Turkish Airlines and Air Europe combination.
IAG currently owns 20% of Air Europa, but is no longer interested in the stake. The Lufthansa Group also dropped its interest in Air Europa.
TK’s capacity is expected to rise 7-8% for the whole year, an increase of one percentage point on its previous outlook. Turkish posted quarterly results that showed an increase in passenger revenue, but the airline’s cargo demand took a hit due to the impact of tariff tensions.
This is a remarkable result, considering the ongoing tension in the Middle East.
Turkish Airlines is experiencing strong demand, with excellent prospects in Africa, Asia, and the domestic market. TK had a 9.4% decline in cargo revenues. US tariffs were blamed for this loss.
The airline expects to move ahead with its fleet growth plans, with “hopefully” no more delays from manufacturers.
TK expects to have 525 aircraft in its fleet by the end of this year, representing a 30-aircraft increase. By 2026, the fleet size is expected to grow to 583 aircraft, and in 2027, a further 40 aircraft are anticipated to join the fleet. In 2025, 25 of the new aircraft will be allocated to Turkish, and four to Ajet. In 2026, the split is expected to be approximately 29 for Turkish and 27 for Ajet.
Air Europa is Spain’s third-largest airline. The company was launched in 1986 . Currently, the Globalia tourism group owns this carrier. It initially operated as Air España SA, focusing on charter flights to Mediterranean resorts and European cities, using Boeing 737s and 757s. Air Europa later became the first private Spanish airline to offer regular domestic flights and joined the SkyTeam alliance in 2007.
