AirAsia Group, Pegasus Airlines launch codesharing partnership

SEPANG, Malaysia, Philippines — Low-cost air carriers AirAsia Group and Turkey’s Pegasus Airlines have entered a codesharing partnership aimed at providing seamless connections between destinations in Europe and Southeast Asian countries, including the Philippines.

Launched at AirAsia’s headquarters in Malaysia on Wednesday, the partnership will connect AirAsia’s extensive network across Asia with Pegasus’ broad European network through its Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen hub.

Through the partnership, AirAsia said it would progressively open access to more than 100 routes between Asia and Europe, starting with flights to five European destinations particularly London, Zurich, Moscow, Ankara and Athens, wherein Kuala Lumpur will act as the hub in Asia.

“Today we have flights from Manila serving into Kuala Lumpur and also from Cebu coming to Kuala Lumpur. So with that, you can actually build the connecting flight. We call it the codeshare flights from Kuala Lumpur into the five destinations that I’ve just announced,” AirAsia Group chief commercial officer Amanda Woo said.

Woo added that through the efficient partnership “fare will be more sustainable for both the business and also the passengers.”

Aside from the initial destinations, the codesharing partnership is also seen to expand to other European destinations such as Munich, Prague, Madrid, Vienna, Barcelona, Manchester and Edinburgh.

To further strengthen the Asia-Europe connection, AirAsia said it would increase its Kuala Lumpur-Istanbul frequency from four times to seven times weekly by February 2027, providing travellers with greater flexibility and more convenient connectivity between the two regions.

Since November 2025, AirAsia X’s Kuala Lumpur-Istanbul route has provided a direct link between Southeast Asia and the gateway city of Istanbul.

AirAsia explained that the codeshare arrangement is designed to provide a seamless connecting experience, with guests able to travel on a single booking and have their baggage checked through to their final destination - without the need to check in again or collect and re-check their bags during transit in Istanbul.

“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,” said Bo Lingam, Group CEO of AirAsia Group.

“By connecting our extensive network across Asia with Pegasus’ 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. This partnership gives travellers more choices, connectivity and opportunities to explore the world at affordable fares, while laying the foundation for even greater connectivity through strategic partnerships in the future,” Lingam said.

For her part, Pegasus Airlines CEO Güliz Öztürk said Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen is a natural connecting point between Europe and Asia.

“Our guests can now reach Kuala Lumpur seamlessly and, from there, AirAsia’s network of more than 140 destinations across Asia-Pacific, while travellers from Southeast Asia and beyond gain a gateway into Türkiye and Europe. We will build on this together, developing a more integrated travel ecosystem across both networks and opening up more destinations, simpler journeys and affordable fares for our guests,” she said.