Türkiye's low-cost carrier Pegasus Airlines has launched direct flights between the capital of Ankara and the Irish capital of Dublin, according to airport operator TAV on Wednesday.
The flight arrival at Ankara Esenboğa Airport was greeted with a water cannon salute, a traditional sign of respect or appreciation in the aviation industry, according to a statement from TAV.
Flights between Ankara and Dublin will operate three times a week, on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.
Nuray Demirer, TAV Esenboğa Airport general manager, said, "This new route, connecting the two capitals, is a valuable addition to our list of direct flights from Ankara."
Ankara Esenboğa Airport serves 77 destinations in 27 countries with 23 airlines.
In the first five months of 2024, the airport welcomed 1.1 million international passengers, an annual surge of 34%. The total number of passengers (both domestic and international) increased 13% year-over-year to 4.9 million between January and May.
Although a capital and diplomatic missions hub, Ankara is perceived to be less interconnected than Istanbul, which, with its long history of being the transcontinental hub and two large airports, is more visited and serves, connecting hundreds of routes worldwide.
The establishment of new routes, in this sense, serves as pivotal for the city of some five million.
Pegasus Airlines, which operates mainly from its base of Sabiha Gökçen Airport on Istanbul's Asian side witnessed a rapid post-COVID-19 recovery and plans to further expand its fleet in upcoming years.
Pegasus has a 105-aircraft fleet of mixed Boeing and Airbus, but the fleet is dominated by European planemaker Airbus.
Last week, it also introduced the new Istanbul-Edinburgh route, adding to its 2024 expansion across the European continent as it has commenced flights to the Croatian capital Zagreb, Slovakia's Bratislava and the capital of Bulgaria, Sofia.
TAV Airports provides integrated services in all areas of airport operations, with a global presence at 110 airports in 33 countries.
