Turkish airline Southwind Airlines has taken delivery of its first Boeing 777-300ER. The almost 18-year-old long-haul jet is leased from Air Lease Corporation and has the registration TC-GRZ.

Southwind Airlines was originally founded to expand air traffic between Turkey and the Russian Federation. The aim was to prevent existing carriers, especially Turkish Airlines, from being affected by any sanctions. In the 2023 summer timetable, Southwind also operate charter flights from Western Europe.

The fleet currently consists of one A321ceo and one A321neo each, as well as two Airbus A320s. The first Boeing 737-Max-8 is to be taken over shortly. It is currently still unclear how many machines of this type will be flown. The recently acquired TC-GRZ is scheduled to be used on particularly busy routes to/from Antalya in the summer of 2023. The carrier wants to take over more long-haul aircraft, but owner Pegas Touristik is silent on the exact number. The name "Southwind" is no coincidence, as there are various connections to the Russian airline "Nordwind".