KUALA LUMPUR: AirAsia has launched its first-ever codeshare partnership with Turkey's low-cost carrier Pegasus Airlines, opening up new connections between Southeast Asia and Europe via Istanbul.
The partnership will initially connect Kuala Lumpur to five European destinations — London Stansted, Moscow Vnukovo, Ankara Esenboga, Zurich and Athens — through Pegasus Airlines' hub at Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen Airport.
It will progressively provide access to more than 100 routes between Asia and Europe, combining AirAsia's network across Asean and Asia with Pegasus Airlines' European network.
AirAsia will also increase its Kuala Lumpur-Istanbul service from four to seven flights a week by February 2027, giving passengers greater flexibility when travelling between Asia and Europe.
AirAsia X has operated the Kuala Lumpur-Istanbul route since November 2025, providing a direct link between Southeast Asia and the Turkish gateway.
Under the codeshare arrangement, passengers will be able to book connecting journeys under a single booking, with baggage checked through to their final destination.
This means passengers will not need to check in again or collect and re-check their baggage during transit in Istanbul.
The partnership also works in the opposite direction, allowing European travellers to connect through Istanbul and Kuala Lumpur before accessing AirAsia's Fly-Thru network across Asean, Asia and Australia.
The network includes destinations in Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, China and Vietnam, among others.
AirAsia group chief executive officer Bo Lingam said the collaboration marked a milestone in the airline's 25th year and its evolution from an Asean low-cost carrier into a global travel network.
"As AirAsia's first-ever codeshare, this partnership marks a meaningful milestone in our 25th year and the next chapter in our evolution from a leading Asean low-cost carrier into a truly global travel network," he said in a statement.
He said the partnership would connect AirAsia's extensive Asian network with Pegasus Airlines' European network, which spans 160 destinations across 56 countries.
Pegasus Airlines chief executive officer Guliz Ozturk said Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen was a natural connecting point between Europe and Asia.
"Our guests can now reach Kuala Lumpur seamlessly and, from there, AirAsia's network of more than 140 destinations across Asia Pacific, while travellers from Southeast Asia and beyond gain a gateway into Turkiye and Europe," she said.
To mark the partnership, AirAsia is offering promotional one-way fares from Kuala Lumpur to the five destinations via Istanbul starting from RM799.
One-way fares from Ankara, Moscow, Athens and Zurich to Kuala Lumpur start from US$199, while fares from London Stansted start from US$299.
The promotional fares are available through AirAsia MOVE from Sept 2 to 6 for travel between Sept 2 and March 27, 2027, subject to terms and conditions.