Corendon Airlines announces an increased focus on the UK market, with the appointment of a new UK Country Manager– Matthew Carpenter who will focus on growing Corendon’s UK sales and building relationships with tour operators, travel agents and flight aggregators.
The new appointment follows the appointment of Christian Hein, the Head of Sales & Marketing for Corendon Airlines, in June this year, who commented: “Matthew is a great addition to our team, as we increase our focus on the UK market. Our goal is to expand our partnerships with tour operators and travel agencies. We’ve already taken the first steps and will continue to develop these efforts in the coming period.”
Carpenter joins Corendon Airlines from Youtravel.com, where he held various management positions over nine years, including Head of Distribution, Chief Sales Officer (CSO), and General Manager (MD). Previously to Youtravel.com , Carpenter spent 10 years at UK OTA LowcostTravelgroup
More flights, more destinations in 2025
Following Corendon Airlines’ strong 2024 performance, having carried more than two million passengers in the first eight months of the year, 300,000 of whom were from the UK. With more than 30 planned destinations for 2025, the airline sells through tour operators and travel agencies, as well as individual seat sales through the company’s own web page, digital channels and online travel agencies. Corendon anticipates UK passengers will increase by 10% for 2025.
Hein added: “We’re providing the UK traveller with more choice, both in terms of the regional airports they fly from, and the channels they can use to book their flights. During the 2025 peak summer season, we’ll operate more than 500 weekly flights with over two million seats, serving London Gatwick, Bristol, Birmingham, Glasgow, Manchester and Newcastle, as well as 18 airports in Germany, four in Austria, and two in Switzerland. Christian Hein commented: “We’re shifting capacity to the UK market to meet strong demand. Our best performing UK airports this year have been Manchester, London Gatwick and Birmingham, and total Load Factor for the UK as a whole reached 89% for the first nine months of the year, with Antalya being the most popular destination for UK travellers.”
Increased marketing activity across UK travel trade and selected national consumer media will boost awareness of the airline’s direct flights from a range of UK airports, to popular holiday destinations Antalya, Izmir and Crete. Recent activity includes tube adverts timed to co-incide with WTM.
Hein commented: “It’s Corendon Airlines’ 20th anniversary next year, but we’re a bit of a hidden secret in the UK. We have a tremendous legacy in providing comfortable flights with great inflight services to holiday hotspots, supported by a welcoming and friendly crew, and we need to shout about this.” The airline is also investing in tech, changing the revenue PSS system to IBS which will enable it to be more agile and cost efficient, particularly in managing travel agent offers more easily.
Corendon Airlines Chairman of the Board of Directors, Yıldıray Karaer, commented, “Our strong numbers and positive outlook for the coming year prove that we are on the right track and confirm the success of our strategy. Building on this success, we are intensifying our sales activities and further strengthening our position in the UK.”
Sustainability Partnership with cOmmited.app
Corendon Airlines has also launched a collaboration with the cOmmited.app platform, enabling passengers to reduce their carbon footprint as part of its sustainability goals. Passengers can calculate the CO2 emissions of their flights and purchase certificates to offset these emissions by financing projects focused on renewable energy, forest conservation, and sustainable agriculture.
Commitment to increased use of SAF fuels
Additionally, this year the airline began using Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) on flights departing from Antalya, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80%. It aims to regularly use SAF fuel in its flights, demonstrating a commitment to nature and supporting global sustainable development goals. As an environmentally conscious brand, Corendon Airlines plans to double its SAF fuel usage next year and increase it tenfold within five years. The airline also aspires to become one of the few airlines supporting IATA Fly Net Zero 2050. Following its successful implementation at Fraport TAV Antalya Airport, the company plans to expand this initiative to Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport next year.
Corendon Airlines is ranked 4th worldwide and first in Turkey in the “World's Cleanest Airlines” study, which measures carbon emissions per passenger.
