Güliz Öztürk, CEO of Türkiye’s leading low-cost carrier, Pegasus Airlines, and her senior management team shared the latest sustainability, diversity, fleet expansion and digital news during World Aviation Festival at the FIL – Lisbon Exhibition and Congress Centre on 27-28th September 2023.

Güliz Öztürk gave a keynote interview on 27th September with Bloomberg anchor, Guy Johnson, sharing Pegasus’ plans for growth based on a strong demand for travel, the impact of fuel prices on airline fares, fuel hedging and sustainability. Güliz commented: “Sustainability and diversity are not challenges we can ignore. We need to set bold targets and be passionate in upholding them…for the planet and for future generations.”

Öztürk also took part in a CEO panel on the future of aviation, profitability, sustainability challenges, and AI. Commenting on one of the most pressing topics in aviation today, she said: “To meet our Net Zero 2050 target, we need to find the means for SAF production, provide the right incentives and pursue industry-wide collaboration. With the right production capabilities and incentives, the aviation industry will find a way to achieve its net zero goals.” At a panel discussion on diversity and inclusion, she said: “Having a variety of voices in our teams and being open to all sorts of distinctive ideas brings a different and enchanced satisfaction to teamwork. Inclusive leadership is the way forward.”

Onur  Dedeköylü, CCO of Pegasus Airlines, took part in a CCO panel exploring passenger behaviours after the post Covid boom and a discussion on AI/ML, digitalisation to enhance the customer experience and ancillary offerings: “In the post Pandemic era, we need to offer flexibility to passengers and look for different ways to make that happen. This extends to offering flight selection that best aligns with their budgetary preferences, loyalty programmes that best suit their lifestyle, and ancillary products. Offering our passengers variety, freedom, and flexibility is key.”

He was joined by CIO, Barış Fındık, shared valuable insights into how Pegasus harnesses the power of technological transformations and leverages AI/ML applications.Speaking about how green ambitions go hand in hand with efficiency, he added: “If you can make an airline more efficient, it also becomes much greener. The aim of the company should be to make it more efficient.” At a joint session held by Barış Fındık and Onur Dedeköylü, they gave examples about the use of AI and ML to enhance self-service, accessibility and catering solutions, and elaborated on the strategies Pegasus employs to personalise its offering throughout every stage of the customer journey.

Ahmet Bağdat, Director of Marketing and E-commerce, said at the digital marketing panel: “Personalisation is a key focus for us. We understand the critical role data plays in personalisation and loyalty. We craft campaign communications tailored to our audience’s preferences.” He also discussed the role of influencer marketing in attracting the younger demographic, ancillary revenues and enhancing the guest digital experience.

Bahadır Durak, Senior Head of Data Analytics and Loyalty Programmes, spoke about Pegasus’ digital transformation and loyalty programmes: “To maintain the relevance and attractiveness of loyalty programs, continuous improvement is essential. Our first step involves actively listening to the consumers, assessing their feedback, leveraging technology and data to enhance our offerings, and fortifying these offerings through strategic partnerships.”