Pegasus Airlines

Pegasus, EU 261 and the one rule that decides everything

Pegasus is Turkey’s big low-cost airline, flying from its Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen hub — the airport on the Asian side, not the main Istanbul Airport that Turkish Airlines uses — to destinations across Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia. But Turkey isn’t in the EU, which makes Pegasus a non-EU carrier, and that single fact decides whether EU Regulation 261/2004 protects you.

The rule in one line: EU 261 covers every flight that departs an EU airport, whatever airline flies it. So a Berlin → Sabiha Gökçen flight on Pegasus is fully covered. The catch is the other direction — a flight into the EU is only covered when an EU airline operates it, and Pegasus isn’t one. So a Sabiha Gökçen → Berlin flight sits outside EU 261. With Pegasus, your rights switch on when you fly out of Europe and off when you fly back in.

What your Pegasus claim is worth

EU 261 sets the amount by the great-circle distance of your route:

Istanbul sits roughly 1,300–2,600 km from most of Europe, so a flight from Europe to Sabiha Gökçen is usually €400 (and €250 from the closest south-east-European cities). As a budget carrier flying point-to-point between Europe and Turkey, Pegasus doesn’t operate the very long EU departures that would reach €600 — so a Pegasus EU claim is realistically €250 or €400. (For the bigger long-haul connections that hit €600, that’s Turkish Airlines, not Pegasus.) Try a few:

So the close-in departures — Athens, Sofia, Vienna — are €250, and the Western and Central European cities — Berlin, Frankfurt, Paris — are €400.

Delays and cancellations

• Delays. For an EU-departing Pegasus flight, if you reach your destination 3+ hours late for a reason within the airline’s control, you’re owed €250–400. Measured at arrival.
• Cancellations. A refund or rerouting, care, and — unless 14+ days’ notice or extraordinary circumstances — the per-passenger compensation on top.
• The honest limit. A Sabiha Gökçen → EU flight isn’t covered by EU 261, however badly it’s delayed — it’s inbound on a non-EU carrier.

Real example. A Berlin → Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen flight arrives 4 hours late after a technical fault. EU departure, not extraordinary, 1,500–3,500 km → €400 per passenger. Check a delayed flight →

Real example. An Athens → Sabiha Gökçen flight is delayed 3.5 hours by a crewing problem. EU departure, under 1,500 km → €250 per passenger, plus care while you wait. Check a cancelled flight →

How to claim from Pegasus yourself

1. Gather your evidence — booking reference, boarding passes, flight number and date, Pegasus’s stated reason, and any receipts.
2. Confirm it qualifies — it departed an EU airport; you arrived 3+ hours late (or it was cancelled with under 14 days’ notice, or denied boarding); the cause wasn’t extraordinary.
3. Work out the amount from the distance — €250 or €400.
4. Submit Pegasus’s claim form. Use Pegasus’s “Write to Us” form, citing EU 261/2004, the flight and the arrival delay.
5. Escalate if refused. Because only EU departures count, escalate to the national enforcement body of the country you flew from (for a Berlin departure, Germany’s LBA) — or hand the claim to a specialist.

Real Pegasus scenarios

• Europe–Istanbul technical delay. Berlin → Sabiha Gökçen 4 hours late after a technical fault → €400 per passenger.
• Short south-east-European hop. Athens → Sabiha Gökçen 3.5 hours late from a crewing issue → €250 each.
• Inbound — the honest no. Sabiha Gökçen → Berlin delayed 5 hours → not covered by EU 261 (inbound on a non-EU carrier).
• Weather cancellation. Vienna → Sabiha Gökçen cancelled by a storm → no compensation, but care and a refund or rerouting.

See real won cases and verdicts →.

Pegasus Airlines at a glance

Founded in 1990 and led by CEO Güliz Öztürk, Pegasus is Turkey’s leading low-cost airline, flying a young Airbus A320neo and A321neo fleet of around 120 aircraft from its Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen hub, and carrying roughly 37 million passengers a year. As a budget point-to-point carrier, its EU-relevant flying is mostly Europe → Istanbul, which keeps its claims in the €250–€400 range. The one thing to get right is direction: your EU 261 rights with Pegasus depend entirely on whether you were flying out of Europe.

Why hand your Pegasus claim to Refundio

A non-EU carrier, a coverage rule that depends on direction, and enforcement that follows your departure country — a Pegasus claim has a few traps. Refundio works out exactly what’s covered, buys your claim and pays you upfront, then takes Pegasus on itself and escalates to the right national body. No win, no fee.

Check your Pegasus claim in 2 minutes →

Frequently asked questions

Can I claim from Pegasus if it’s a Turkish airline?

Yes — for flights that depart an EU airport. EU 261 covers every flight leaving the EU whatever the airline’s nationality, so a Berlin, Vienna or Athens departure on Pegasus is covered. It does not cover a flight into the EU from Istanbul, because Turkey isn’t in the EU and inbound protection only applies to EU airlines.

How much compensation does Pegasus pay?

For most Europe–Istanbul flights, €400 (those routes are 1,500–3,500 km). Shorter departures from south-east Europe (Athens, Sofia, Vienna) are under 1,500 km, so €250. Pegasus doesn’t fly the very long EU departures that reach €600 — so a Pegasus EU claim is €250 or €400.

My Pegasus flight from Istanbul back to Europe was delayed. Am I owed anything?

Not under EU 261 — it’s an inbound flight on a non-EU carrier. You may have rights under Turkey’s own rules or the Montreal Convention for proven expenses, but the fixed EU compensation applies only to flights leaving the EU.

Is Pegasus the same as Turkish Airlines?

No. Different airlines, different airports. Pegasus is a low-cost carrier at Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen (SAW); Turkish Airlines is the flag carrier at the main Istanbul Airport (IST). Check your boarding pass so you claim from the right one.

How do I claim compensation from Pegasus?

Use Pegasus’s “Write to Us” online form, citing EU 261/2004, your flight and the arrival delay. If refused, escalate to the national enforcement body of the EU country you departed from — or hand it to Refundio.

How long do I have to claim from Pegasus?

It depends on the EU country you flew from — typically two to three years, longer in some. Older flights are often still claimable.