Following a false start in early August, Southwind Airlines (2S, Antalya) has now launched its first flights, initially targeting the Russian holiday market to Antalya in southern Türkiye.
According to the ch-aviation fleets module, the start-up, created by Turkish tour operator Pegas Touristik, operates a fleet of one A321-200 and two A330-200s. All three are now active.
Flightradar24 ADS-B data show the narrowbody, TC-GRD (msn 5836), linking the Turkish resort city with Perm Bolshoye Savino, St. Petersburg, Ekaterinburg, Kazan International, and Chelyabinsk Balandino over the last ten days.
One of the widebodies, TC-GRA (msn 1256), has been operating between Antalya and Novosibirsk, Kazan, and St Petersburg. However, the other A330, TC-GRB (msn 1266), has only connected Antalya with Zurich and Brussels National since August 13.
Flights to Moscow, Krasnoyarsk Yemelyanovo, and Ufa are also scheduled by the end of the summer, according to Russian media.
Besides Pegas, Southwind will also serve the Russian tour operators Anex Tour - which has been working closely with another Turkish leisure start-up Mavi Gök Airlines (4M, Antalya) - and Coral Travel.
A new Russian website dedicated to the carrier, Southwind.ru, says that its maiden commercial flight was to Perm on August 12. It also mentions that it is operating a second A321, which could be a reference to some of its flights being operated by Russian affiliate Nordwind Airlines (N4, Moscow Sheremetyevo).
Though it has yet to hint any possible plans to serve the European Union, the start-up also secured it European TCO permit on August 12.
