• 236 relief flights have been carried out thus far
• Nearly 12,500 people have been evacuated from the earthquake region
• Over 5,600 rescue workers and medical personnel have been transported to the region
• 188 tonnes of cargo have been donated and flown to the earthquake region
• SunExpress launches an airbridge from Germany to Türkiye to transport donations

London, 17^th February, 2023 – In the wake of the devastating earthquakes, SunExpress, a joint venture of Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines, has operated 236 relief flights in order to bring rescue and medical staff to the emergency regions as quickly as possible. Over 5,600 rescue workers and medical personnel have been transported. Additionally, the airline has already evacuated nearly 12,500 people affected by the earthquake.

The airline, in close coordination with local authorities in Türkiye, has donated and transported more than 188 tonnes of humanitarian aid supplies from around Türkiye to the affected region.

SunExpress CEO Max Kownatzki: “Everyone in the SunExpress family is devastated and shocked about the horrific tragedy that happened in Türkiye and Syria. There was absolutely no question that we would immediately jump to action to the best of our abilities and help the brave and hard-working rescue teams and those affected by the earthquakes. We have converted our regular passenger flights to relief and rescue air travel so that medical and material aid can arrive and evacuations can be done as quickly as possible. We have also created an airbridge from Germany to Türkiye in order to transport the countless donations we are receiving to further support the relief efforts.”

SunExpress launches joint relief venture with DPD, FIEGE, time:matters and Lufthansa Cargo

SunExpress Airlines partners with DPD, FIEGE, time:matters, CB Customs Broker GmbH  and Lufthansa Cargo in a joint logistics effort that will bring urgently needed relief supplies. The airbridge between Germany and Türkiye is expected to be maintained as long as needed, carrying more than one thousand tons of relief supplies to the affected region.

The need for aid in the affected earthquake region is so enormous that a stable and continuous transport process between Germany and Türkiye is essential to ensure continuous supplies for the people on the ground. By utilising the synergies and expertise of the individual partners, the enormous private willingness to help among the population can be further fostered: Private donations can be handed in at 7.500 DPD stores in Germany, which are then distributed via the logistics centers of the FIEGE Group, coordinated by the logistics service provider time:matters and flown to Antalya several times a week by air freight transport by SunExpress Airlines and Lufthansa Cargo. In Antalya, the relief supplies are then transported to the earthquake regions with the assistance of the local disaster control authority AFAD and the logistics partner DSV.