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Turkish Airlines will not seek majority control of Spain’s Air Europa after a €300 million ($355 million) minority stake deal, Chairman Ahmet Bolat said on Wednesday.
"We are not interested in owning Air Europa, we are interested in working with Air Europa," Bolat told reporters at the launch of the airline’s new Istanbul–Seville route, adding that the Spanish airline’s strong presence in Latin America was the main attraction for the partnership.
Bolat also underlined that European Union regulations prevent non-EU airlines from holding majority ownership in EU-based carriers, which rules out a larger stake, Reuters reported.
Commenting on the bidding process finalized in August, Bolat said the rejection of other candidates was not based on price but rather "on what they were bringing to the overall business." Bolat stressed that Turkish Airlines’ partnership strategy and long-term business plan, the details of which remain confidential, were the main reasons behind Air Europa’s decision to approve the partnership.
After the deal, Turkish Airlines became the second-largest stakeholder in the Spanish carrier after the Hidalgo family, with a minority stake amounting to 26%–27% equity.
The statements came as Turkish Airlines launched new daily flights between Istanbul and Seville. Türkiye’s Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said the service would connect the "unique beauty of Seville" with Türkiye, while also bringing Turkish culture to Spanish travelers.
Turkish Airlines has steadily expanded its Spanish operations since launching Madrid flights in 1984 and Barcelona in 1992, later adding Malaga, Valencia, and Bilbao. With the addition of Seville, the carrier’s 2025 summer schedule now includes 91 weekly flights between Türkiye and Spain.
Uraloglu also announced that AJet, the low-cost subsidiary of Turkish Airlines, will begin flying from Ankara to Madrid three times a week starting Oct. 23, and from Ankara to Barcelona four times a week starting Oct. 24. "For the first time, there will be direct flights between the two capitals," he said.
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