The leisure airline Corendon Airlines has presented its strategic plan for the 2026 summer season, focusing on significant growth in its core European markets. With a fleet of 35 aircraft across the group, the carrier plans to massively expand its market share, particularly in Germany, Austria, and Poland.
While Turkey remains the most important destination, accounting for half of the total capacity, other destinations are experiencing disproportionate growth rates. Flight frequencies to Spain have increased by more than a quarter, while Egypt, a year-round destination, has seen an increase of around 40 percent compared to the previous year. Greece also remains a key pillar of the flight schedule, with growth of 12 percent, primarily driven by demand for Heraklion on Crete.
In Germany, Corendon is consolidating its operational structure by maintaining four permanent bases at Cologne/Bonn, Düsseldorf, Hanover, and Nuremberg. A total of ten aircraft are planned to be permanently stationed at these airports by summer 2026, representing a capacity increase of approximately 20 percent. An unusual marketing initiative is being implemented in North Rhine-Westphalia: on flights departing from Düsseldorf and Cologne, the airline is partnering with Lukas Podolski's restaurant chain and offering its lahmacun products for onboard purchase. In Austria, even stronger growth is targeted, with an increase of around 30 percent, again focusing on Turkey and classic Mediterranean destinations.
Beyond the German-speaking region, Poland is developing into a strategic focus for the coming years. Corendon plans to almost double its flight offerings from Warsaw and Katowice in the summer of 2026. From November 2026, the route network will also be expanded to include direct connections to Hurghada. In the long term, the airline is reinforcing its ambitions in Eastern Europe with the planned establishment of its own operational base in Poland from 2027. In the United Kingdom, the airline is concentrating on increasing frequencies to existing destinations such as Antalya and Heraklion, supported by regional sports sponsorship partnerships.
The Corendon Group, which in addition to its three airlines in Turkey, Malta, and the Netherlands also operates an extensive hotel portfolio in Amsterdam, Turkey, and Curaçao, is thus continuing its course of vertical integration. Despite expansion plans in the DACH region (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland), there are local constraints: Extensive runway renovations will be carried out at Basel-Mulhouse Airport in spring 2026, temporarily stabilizing flight schedules for the Swiss market instead of allowing them to grow. Overall, the strategy under Sales Director Christian Hein aims to secure economic stability through diversification of source markets and close integration with traditional travel agencies.