Turkish Airlines Denies Reports It Seeks Full SunExpress Control

Turkish Airlines on November 5, 2025 denied reports that it is negotiating to take full control of SunExpress, saying its 50/50 partnership with Lufthansa Group remains unchanged. In a filing issued via Türkiye’s Public Disclosure Platform, the flag carrier moved to halt weeks of speculation that it was preparing to buy Lufthansa’s stake in the Antalya-based leisure airline.

The statement, published through the Public Disclosure Platform (KAP), addressed the rumors directly.

“News in various media outlets claiming that our partnership is in negotiations to acquire all shares of Güneş Ekspress Havacılık A.Ş. (‘SunExpress’), in which our partnership holds a 50% stake, is untrue.”
Turkish Airlines added:
“SunExpress successfully continues its operations under the partnership of Turkish Airlines Inc. and Lufthansa A.G., and there is no change in the partnership structure.”

The denial follows reports earlier in 2025 from Turkish and Italian outlets that Turkish Airlines was exploring a purchase of Lufthansa’s 50% stake to assume full ownership. Those stories fueled talk in aviation circles about possible consolidation moves by Turkish Airlines as it expands globally. The company’s KAP filing draws a line under that chatter, affirming that the SunExpress partnership with Lufthansa Group remains an equal joint venture and that neither party has altered the ownership balance.

SunExpress, which is based in Antalya with a second base in Frankfurt, has been presented by its management as both operationally nimble and strategically tied to two of Europe’s most prominent airline groups. SunExpress CEO Max Kownatzki underscored that positioning, saying:

“We leverage the advantages of being agile and relatively small while also being part of two industry-leading airlines.”
His remarks align with the message from Turkish Airlines that the joint structure is a feature, not a flaw, and that the partnership’s design supports growth without the need for a change of control.

The carrier’s recent performance gives weight to those claims. In 2024, SunExpress reported record revenue of €2.2 billion ($2.5 billion) and carried nearly 15 million passengers with an 86% load factor. Those figures point to robust demand in its core markets and suggest that the business has retained momentum after the travel industry’s broader recovery. For Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa Group, the joint venture’s financial results help explain why both sides are emphasizing stability in the partnership rather than a strategic reshuffle.

Growth plans already in motion further illuminate why a change of ownership may be neither necessary nor helpful at this stage. SunExpress has mapped out an ambitious fleet plan anchored by a record-breaking order for up to 90 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft announced at Dubai Airshow 2023. The scale of that commitment indicates confidence from both parents in the airline’s medium-term outlook, and it gives SunExpress a clear path to expand capacity and refresh its fleet without disrupting the current balance of control.

The public rebuttal from Turkish Airlines also addresses investor and market concerns that can follow persistent merger speculation. By using the KAP disclosure channel, the carrier placed its position on the public record and tied it to official reporting obligations, a step intended to steady counterparties, suppliers, and customers that rely on predictability from the SunExpress operation. The language in the filing was unequivocal about ownership and continuity, closing off room for interpretation that talks might be ongoing behind the scenes.

For SunExpress, the signal is that its existing operating model—anchored in Antalya with a key base in Frankfurt—will continue under joint stewardship. The airline’s emphasis on balancing agility with the backing of Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa Group suggests that management sees competitive advantage in the partnership. The CEO’s framing of SunExpress as “agile and relatively small” while connected to “two industry-leading airlines” reflects a strategy of leaning on parent networks and expertise, even as the airline pursues its own fleet and network plans.

The sustainability track outlined for the partnership adds another layer to the case for continuity. Both Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa Group have presented the SunExpress platform as part of their broader ESG-aligned growth, including fleet upgrades and the adoption of Sustainable Aviation Fuel. While the statement did not provide new targets, the alignment on SAF and fleet modernization means the joint venture’s investment path is tied to shared environmental priorities. That alignment becomes harder, not easier, to maintain if ownership becomes a point of contention, which is one reason both sides are pointing to a steady course rather than change.

The clarity from Turkish Airlines comes after a period when rumors can easily gain traction in a consolidating industry. With carriers reworking strategies and partnerships to fit demand shifts, any hint of a buyout can ripple through workforces and route planners. The KAP filing cuts against that by asserting there is “no change in the partnership structure,” a line that applies to people within SunExpress as much as it does to outside observers. For employees and crews in Antalya and Frankfurt, continued joint ownership means planning around current operational setups rather than preparing for a new owner’s priorities.

The numbers SunExpress posted in 2024 also help explain why a status quo message resonates. Record revenue of €2.2 billion and nearly 15 million passengers with an 86% load factor offer a concrete snapshot of performance. Those metrics suggest the airline is filling seats efficiently and generating solid yields, conditions that typically reduce pressure for ownership upheaval. They also provide a foundation for integrating the forthcoming Boeing 737 MAX deliveries from the order placed at Dubai Airshow 2023, an investment that will shape the airline’s cost base and network for years.

For Turkish Airlines, maintaining a balanced partnership with Lufthansa Group through SunExpress supports its broader strategy of connecting markets through Türkiye and strengthening its brand across leisure and diaspora travel segments. The airline’s decision to address the speculation explicitly, and to do so with precise language, reinforces a preference for certainty as it steers other growth initiatives. It also gives Lufthansa Group a clear public baseline to point to when asked about its intentions for its 50% stake.

The denial’s timing matters because corporate rumors that persist into booking seasons can cloud demand or complicate coordination with airports and suppliers. By confirming there is no process underway to change control, Turkish Airlines is effectively protecting operational planning for SunExpress, especially as it stages fleet and capacity increases tied to the Boeing order. The insistence that “there is no change in the partnership structure” is meant to be read not only as an ownership statement but as assurance that the day-to-day cooperation between Turkish Airlines, SunExpress, and Lufthansa Group continues as planned.

While the KAP filing extinguishes talk of a near-term buyout, it also underscores that the partnership remains central to both parents’ strategies. SunExpress’s base in Antalya and second base in Frankfurt positions it at the junction of major leisure flows and European connectivity, a sweet spot that benefits from the involvement of both Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa Group. The joint venture model allows SunExpress to draw on a broader ecosystem for procurement, training, and commercial tie-ups while keeping its own management focused on a targeted growth path in the markets it knows best.

Max Kownatzki’s description of the airline’s stance—“We leverage the advantages of being agile and relatively small while also being part of two industry-leading airlines”—captures the crux of how the partnership is designed to work. Agility, backed by scale and resources, is difficult to replicate without cooperation. It is notable that his comments arrive alongside Turkish Airlines’ formal denial, tying leadership’s operational perspective to the shareholder message that stability, not change, is the priority.

The sustainability thread woven through the partnership, including accelerating fleet upgrades and adopting Sustainable Aviation Fuel, further binds Turkish Airlines, SunExpress, and Lufthansa Group around shared objectives. As airlines increasingly measure performance not only by profit and passenger counts but also by environmental impact, joint ventures that can pool investment and align targets may find they have an edge. That context makes a straightforward denial of ownership change more than procedural—it signals continued alignment on how growth should look and how it will be financed and delivered.

By moving quickly to rebut reports of a full takeover, Turkish Airlines has attempted to turn down the volume on a storyline that risked overshadowing SunExpress’s growth plans. The emphasis on continued partnership with Lufthansa Group, the public filing through KAP, and the reinforcement from SunExpress’s executive team combine to present a unified front. For now, the message is unambiguous: Turkish Airlines, SunExpress, and Lufthansa Group are keeping the joint venture intact, and they intend to build on that structure rather than replace it.

As of November 5, 2025, there is no evidence of Turkish Airlines seeking to take full control of SunExpress. The joint venture remains equally owned by Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa Group, with both parties publicly affirming the stability of their partnership.