Antitrust Routes Europe Mergers and Acquisitions Airlines

Czech regulator conditionally clears Pegasus’ €154 million acquisition of Smartwings, requiring Prague–Antalya slot divestments

Czech competition authorities have provisionally approved Pegasus Airlines’ acquisition of Smartwings, subject to surrendering summer slots on the Prague–Antalya route. Turkey had already authorized the €154 million transaction announced in December, bringing the deal closer to completion while addressing overlap concerns in the market.

Discovered 2026-09-13T13:29:18.566745-07:00 | 2026-09-13T13:29:18.566745-07:00

Briefing

What Hype is tracking

The conditional clearance advances Pegasus’ expansion into the Czech market while requiring slot divestments on the Prague–Antalya route to address the regulator’s competition concerns.
The deal adds to Pegasus’ European footprint as the carrier operates in a more challenging environment, including elevated fuel costs and Middle East-related disruption.

Reported By

FlightGlobal Aviacionline air-journal.fr