Pegasus Airlines Completes Smartwings Takeover While Preserving CSA Brand
Turkish carrier Pegasus Airlines completed its acquisition of Czech airline group Smartwings and České aerolinie (ČSA) on October 1, taking control of a combined fleet exceeding 175 aircraft. The transaction follows antitrust approvals in multiple countries, including a clearance from the Czech Office for the Protection of Competition (ÚOHS) granted in early September. The Czech competition authority conditioned its approval on the release of summer slot pairs on the regular route between Prague and Antalya, according to zdopravy.cz.
The acquisition stems from a competitive auction held in December, where Pegasus outbid Poland’s carrier LOT Polish Airlines by offering 154 milionů eur (3,8 miliardy korun). The deal was executed through a newly established Dutch subsidiary, Pegasus Europe B.V., which now acts as the sole shareholder of České aerolinie a.s. Following the transaction, Pegasus installed its own executives in Prague, appointing Emre Pekesen as chief executive officer and Nur Karabacak as chief financial officer as of October 1, as reported by zdopravy.cz.
Internal Memo Outlines Brand Retention and Integration Plans
Smartwings will retain its corporate identity, market position, and brand name under the new ownership, according to an internal employee document cited by zdopravy.cz. The Turkish carrier explicitly informed staff that the acquisition is not a temporary arrangement preceding a merger under a single brand. Instead, both groups will gradually explore operational synergies. Pegasus views Smartwings as a vehicle to accelerate its expansion outside Turkey, specifically using the Czech carrier's established network across Central and Eastern Europe.
The historic Czech brand České aerolinie will also survive the ownership shift. Management confirmed in the employee briefing obtained by zdopravy.cz that ČSA’s identity and legacy will be preserved, noting that the carrier represents a century-old aviation heritage. While ČSA ended its own scheduled flight operations in the autumn of 2024—with Smartwings subsequently absorbing its flight schedules—the brand will continue to support the long-term competitiveness of the combined group.
Workforce Protections and Fleet Expansion Commitments
The integration process will unfold gradually without immediate disruptions to personnel, according to the internal document reviewed by zdopravy.cz. Staff at Smartwings retain their existing positions, salaries, employee benefits, working conditions, and work locations, with no determinations made regarding workforce reductions at the time of the transfer. The transition emphasizes cross-team collaboration and the mutual exchange of professional experience between Turkish and Czech aviation personnel.
For passengers, the merger will progressively expand destination networks and improve connections between Europe, Turkey, the Middle East, North Africa, and post-Soviet states in the Commonwealth of Independent States, such as Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, as detailed by zdopravy.cz. The broader corporate group supports future scaling through 140 confirmed aircraft orders currently held across both airlines. Jiří Šimáně, co-founder of Smartwings, stated in a press release that Pegasus provides the right foundation to build long-term value and support future growth.
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