Pegasus Airlines has placed two of its own executives in charge of Smartwings, installing Emre Pekesen as CEO and Nur Karabacak as CFO with effect from October 1, 2026 — the same day the Turkish carrier completed its acquisition of Czech Airlines and Smartwings Group.

The combined operation now fields a fleet of more than 175 aircraft, with existing firm orders covering 140 additional airframes secured by both airlines. That order book gives the enlarged group one of the larger committed delivery pipelines among European low-cost and hybrid operators.

Smartwings announced on October 2, 2026 that it was "entering a new chapter with two new leadership appointments" to the team. Both appointments took effect the previous day.

Who are the new leaders?

Pekesen joined Pegasus Airlines in 2010 as Sales Director and has served as Group Director of Sales and Network Planning since 2022. His background points to a commercial and network-driven mandate for the Czech group rather than a financial restructuring brief.

Karabacak joined Pegasus in 2018 as Investor Relations Manager and has served as Group Head of Budget, Reporting and Cost Control since 2019. She takes the finance portfolio at Smartwings with deep familiarity with the parent company's reporting discipline.

"We thank both for their valuable contributions to Pegasus over the years and wish them every success in their new roles at Smartwings," the company said in a statement.

What does the takeover change?

Pegasus closed the acquisition of Czech Airlines and Smartwings Group on October 1, 2026, after receiving all required regulatory approvals and fulfilling customary closing conditions.

Commenting on the completion, Pegasus Airlines CEO Güliz Öztürk said: "Our story began with a dream of a world where everyone can fly, and today, Pegasus Airlines and Smartwings come together to take that ambition forward."

Öztürk added: "Together we can grow further and offer our guests more choice than any of us could alone. The people and relationships behind each airline are the reason I'm confident in what comes next, and we look forward to writing the next chapter together with all our colleagues."

The management reshuffle signals rapid integration. Pegasus moved within a single day from closing the transaction to installing loyal insiders in the two top posts at its new Czech acquisition — a pace that suggests network, fleet and commercial decisions across the combined 175-plus aircraft may come quickly.