Pegasus Airlines & Turkish Airlines: Turkey's aviation booms, Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen Airport gains

Turkey is home to two of Europe's fastest growing airlines. Turkish Airlines increased ASKs by 16% in 2014 and LCC Pegasus Airlines grew by 20%. From a standing start as a scheduled carrier ten years ago, Pegasus' share of seats in Turkey reached 19% in 2014. Turkish remained the country's largest airline, but its market share of just under 54% in 2014 was unchanged from 2010. The main battlegrounds between the two are on international routes to/from Europe and in the domestic market, where Pegasus has grown particularly rapidly.

Until 2013, Turkish Airlines more or less left Pegasus alone at its home base of Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen, where the LCC is the number one airline. Since then, however, Turkish has outgrown its rival at Istanbul's number two airport. Turkish now overlaps on city pairs that cover 97% of Pegasus seat capacity from Sabiha Gokcen.

It is no coincidence that Pegasus' unit revenue and operating profit margin have dipped since this onslaught. Neither has Turkish emerged unscathed. Both plan further rapid growth this year, but appear to be holding a truce in the price war.