A new passenger airline will be on offer for customers looking to fly from East Midlands Airport to Turkey next summer.
SunExpress has confirmed it will launch a new scheduled passenger service from East Midlands to Antalya from Easter through to the end of October in 2026. The service will operate up to three times weekly – on Tuesdays, Wednesdays (peak summer only), and Fridays, with mid-morning departure times.
SunExpress is a joint venture between Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines. Following strong growth in Germany, SunExpress is expanding this successful model, and will operate from 14 airports across the UK and Ireland in summer 2026. It joins Ryanair, Jet2, TUI, Blue Islands and Emerald flying from East Midlands Airport to around 70 destinations across Europe and north Africa.
Booking has now opened for its summer 2026 schedules from East Midlands Airport, at www.sunexpress.com and via travel agents. Antalya is one of Türkiye’s top holiday destinations which is popular with families, boasting beautiful beaches on the ‘Turquoise Coast,’ along with a rich history and vibrant cultural scene.
East Midlands Airport’s Managing Director Steve Griffiths said: “We’re really pleased to welcome a new airline to the airport, offering our customers greater choice. Frequent flights to Türkiye’s tourism capital will undoubtedly be popular and we will play our part as always by making sure that people booking with SunExpress can relax and enjoy their time at the airport.
“This announcement comes shortly after new cargo airlines have launched services from East Midlands, and shows that we are growing both sides of our business, with bright prospects for the future.”
Tobias Bracht, Head of Sales for SunExpress, said: “We are thrilled to be expanding our UK and Ireland network with this exciting new route from East Midlands Airport to Antalya for summer 2026. As an airline committed to connecting our passengers and their loved ones to their dream destinations, we are confident that this service will offer a convenient and high-quality travel experience to visit the incredible Turkish Riviera.
“Antalya is a world-class destination renowned for its breathtaking coastline, rich history, and exceptional hospitality, and we are excited to make it even more accessible. We look forward to welcoming passengers onboard and providing them with our signature warm service.”
In addition to ‘summer sun and beach’ travel, SunExpress aims to cater for numerous other types of travel for which Türkiye is popular including cultural, archaeological and culinary tourism.
SunExpress is a value carrier with a strong presence on the Turkish Riviera and in Anatolia. The airline operates in a total of 237 routes to 92 destinations across 35 countries.
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