Türkiye's Southwind Airlines returns to European Union

Southwind Airlines (2S, Antalya) resumed flights to Western Europe on March 2, 2026, with a charter service from Antalya to Berlin Brandenburg tied to the ITB Berlin travel trade fair, ch-aviation research reveals.

The flight was conducted with a dry-leased 189-seater B737-8, TC-GRK (msn 43359), according to ADS-B data.

Announcing the flight on social media, the airline said that it now intends to expand its network with more European destinations, but it did not elaborate.

Launched in 2022, Southwind was banned from European Union airspace on March 29, 2024, due to its alleged Russian ties. The ban stemmed from the Finnish authorities' denial of traffic rights to Southwind on March 25 of that year over suspected Russian ownership/control.

A Southwind court challenge to overturn the ban failed in August 2024, as the European Union General Court ruled that no challengeable EU decision existed, and that instead it was member-state led. The court said that a European Commission email to Southwind, while stating the ban was in place and providing justification, was not a legal decision. Consequently, no EU decision could be challenged in court.

The airline serves at least eight Russian destinations, two destinations in Saudi Arabia, and four domestic routes within Türkiye, according to ch-aviation data. It operates a fleet of 14 aircraft: four A321-200s, one A321-200NX, two A330-200s, three B737-8s, three B777-300s, and one B777-300ER.

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FLEET - Southwind Airlines (Turkiye) will begin A330-200, B777-300, and B777-300ER operations out of Antalya on various routes during summer 2024.

Photo: Ton Jochems - AYT

Southwind Airlines banned from EU

 Photo: Ton Jochems

The EU decided to ban Southwind Airlines from Turkey from flying to and over the EU. This decision was made after the airline applied to operate flights between Finland and Turkey and Finland found out that Southwind is, partially, owned by Russian investors, and therefore violating the EU sanctions.

Southwind Airlines was established in April 2022, shortly after the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. It was launched with support of Russian touroperator Pegas Touristik and was set-up to ensure the continuous flow of Russian tourists to Turkey. It commenced flights in August 2022, first to Russia. Later, it added destinations in Bahrain, Belarus, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Moldova, North Macedonia, and Switzerland.

The airline currently has a fleet that is made-up of two Airbus A321s, one A321neo, two A330-200s, three Boeing B737-8s, three B777-300s, and one B777-300ER.

ROUTES - Southwind Airlines (Turkiye) intends to add service to multiple destinations in the UK from Antalya and Dalaman beginning March 2024, with A321 and B737-8. forward

TC-GRJ / B737-MAX8 

Ton Jochems
 

Fleet Modernization - Southwind Airlines takes first B777-300

Southwind Airlines (2S, Antalya) took delivery of its first B777-300 and inducted it into revenue service on June 27, 2023.

TC-GRY (msn 32327) is a 19-year-old aircraft formerly in service with Moldova's Fly Pro (FP, Chisinau). It was ferried from maintenance at Bodrum Milas to Antalya on June 27 and operated its first revenue flight - to Tel Aviv Ben Gurion - on the same day. It has since operated exclusively between Antalya and Düsseldorf, Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows.

The airline says on its website that it will operate four B777-300s, all of them in a single-class layout seating up to 550 passengers. TC-GRZ (msn 33501) is set to be its first B777-300(ER). The ex-Azur Air (ZF, Krasnoyarsk Yemelyanovo) aircraft is in maintenance at Cairo International airport, the ch-aviation fleets advanced module shows. The carrier will also be adding another B777-300, VP-BKU (msn 33376), to be TC-GRU, which is undergoing maintenance at Antalya airport. The identity of TC-GRV is unknown. The airline did not respond to ch-aviation's request for comment.

Southwind Airlines also operates two A321-200s, one A321-200NX, two A330-200s, and three B737-8s

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NEW AIRCRAFT - Southwind Airlines to add B737 MAX8 (TC-GRJ)

Ilgaz Deger

NEW AIRCRAFT - Southwind Airlines (Türkiye) (2S, Antalya) has taken delivery of its first B777-300(ER), TC-GRZ (msn 33501).

The 17.9-year-old aircraft owned by Air Lease Corporation was operated by Azur Air until March 2022. It underwent maintenance at Amman Queen Alia in 2022 and was ferried to Antalya on December 22 still under its Bermudan VQ-BZY registration. It began proving flights between Antalya and Bodrum Milas on March 10, 2023, but it has yet to be deployed into revenue operations by the Turkish leisure specialist.

The aircraft joins Southwind Airlines' existing fleet comprising one A321-200, one A321-200NX, and two A330-200s. However, only the two A321s are currently active, flying charter flights between Türkiye and Russia. As previously reported, the airline will soon induct its first B737-8.

Southwind is backed by Pegas Touristik, a tour operator affiliated with Russia's Nordwind Airlines, which established a Turkish AOC in the wake of Western sanctions on Russia in 2022.

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Türkiye’s Southwind launches flight ops

Following a false start in early August, Southwind (STW, Antalya) has now launched its first flights, initially targeting the Russian holiday market to Antalya in southern Türkiye.

According to the ch-aviation fleets advanced 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.

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.

Ch-aviation

Photos: Ton Jochems - Antalya
 

Southwind launches flight ops

 Following a false start in early August, Southwind (STW, Antalya) has now launched its first flights, initially targeting the Russian holiday market to Antalya in southern Türkiye.

According to the ch-aviation fleets advanced 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, St. Petersburg, Ekaterinburg, Kazan Int'l, and Chelyabinsk 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 (MGH, 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.

Ch-Aviation