Despite previous denials, Pegasus Airlines (PC, Istanbul Sabiha Gökcen) has now confirmed it has considered establishing a budget carrier in Ukraine.
Speaking to Forbes magazine, the Turkish carrier's Director (Sales & Network Planning), Emre Pekesen, said management has held talks with the Ukrainian Ministry of Infrastructure concerning a possible joint-venture but that nothing substantive had yet been agreed to.
Should it come into being, the carrier would be majority-owned by Ukrainian investors and operate with a Ukrainian AOC, Pekesen said. However, while Pegasus Airlines sees enormous potential in its untapped market, he said Ukraine was only one of several countries the carrier is looking at in the region.
"Ukraine is really an under-served market," he said. "We are just monitoring right now. It doesn't mean that we will definitely open a new base."
Pegasus Airlines has already branched out into the Central Asian market establishing Pegasus Asia (Bishkek) in Kyrgyzstan back in 2013. It was then rebranded Air Manas (MBB, Bishkek) in late 2015.
