# Southwind Airlines

Southwind Airlines is a Turkish leisure airline founded in April 2022 by Cortex Havacılık ve Turizm Ticaret A.Ş. Flights to Russia commenced in August of that year, while Germany was added to its network a month later. The airline's main base and headquarters are in Antalya. The airline was banned from EU airspace in March 2024, but was lifted in December 2024.

## History
### Foundation

Southwind Airlines was formally announced in April 2022, based out of Antalya, Turkey. The airline aims to prevent the loss of Russian tourists coming to Turkey following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The airline received preclearance from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation in June of that year. The first commercial flight was flown to Perm on 12 August.
Charter flights to Germany commenced in September 2022. In February 2023, the airline announced plans to carry tourists to Antalya from 16 Russian cities during the summer season. The number of aircraft in the fleet is expected to be 14 by the end of 2023.
In July 2024, Southwind Airlines has joined IATA.

### EU airspace ban and lifting

On 25 March 2024, Southwind Airlines was banned by the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency from operating flights to Finland. According to the agency, Southwind Airlines is a de facto Russian airline attempting to circumvent European Union sanctions against Russia, imposed in response to Russia's military aggression against Ukraine.
Following the Finnish assessment, the airline was banned on 28 March 2024 from the entire EU airspace, subject to regulation No 833/2014. The airline was to begin flights under its own brand to several airports in the United Kingdom in summer 2024 as well, which however were all subsequently also cancelled. Shortly after, Switzerland formally banned the airline as well.
However, in the next publication on December 13 2024, Southwind Airlines was removed from the List. The reason for this is still unknown.

## Destinations

Southwind Airlines operates flights to the following destinations:
| Country | City | Airport | Notes |
| Bahrain | Manama | Bahrain International Airport | |
| Belarus | Minsk | Minsk National Airport | Suspended |
| Germany | Berlin | Berlin Brandenburg Airport | banned in EU airspace |
| Germany | Düsseldorf | Düsseldorf Airport | banned in EU airspace |
| Germany | Hamburg | Hamburg Airport | banned in EU airspace |
| Germany | Hanover | Hannover Airport | banned in EU airspace |
| Germany | Leipzig | Leipzig/Halle Airport | banned in EU airspace |
| Germany | Munich | Munich Airport | banned in EU airspace |
| Germany | Nuremberg | Nuremberg Airport | banned in EU airspace |
| Germany | Stuttgart | Stuttgart Airport | banned in EU airspace |
| Greece | Heraklion | Heraklion International Airport | banned in EU airspace |
| Israel | Tel Aviv | Ben Gurion Airport | Suspended |
| Italy | Bergamo | Orio al Serio International Airport | banned in EU airspace |
| Kazakhstan | Astana | Nursultan Nazarbayev International Airport | |
| Lebanon | Beirut | Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport | |
| Moldova | Chișinău | Chișinău International Airport | banned in EU airspace |
| North Macedonia | Skopje | Skopje International Airport | |
| Russia | Arkhangelsk | Talagi Airport | Resumes 27 April 2025 |
| Russia | Irkutsk | International Airport Irkutsk | |
| Russia | Kaliningrad | Khrabrovo Airport | |
| Russia | Kazan | Ğabdulla Tuqay Kazan International Airport | |
| Russia | Krasnoyarsk | Krasnoyarsk International Airport | |
| Russia | Moscow | Sheremetyevo International Airport | |
| Russia | Nizhny Novgorod | Strigino International Airport | |
| Russia | Novosibirsk | Tolmachevo Airport | |
| Russia | Orenburg | Orenburg Airport | |
| Russia | Perm | Bolshoye Savino Airport | Seasonal charter |
| Russia | Saint Petersburg | Pulkovo Airport | |
| Russia | Samara | Kurumoch International Airport | |
| Russia | Sochi | Sochi International Airport | |
| Russia | Ufa | Mustai Karim Ufa International Airport | |
| Russia | Volgograd | Gumrak Airport | |
| Russia | Yekaterinburg | Koltsovo International Airport | |
| Switzerland | Zürich | Zurich Airport | banned in EU and Swiss airspace |
| Switzerland France Germany | Basel Mulhouse Freiburg | EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg | banned in EU airspace |
| Turkey | Antalya | Antalya Airport | Hub |
| Turkey | Istanbul | Istanbul Airport | |
| Turkey | Trabzon | Trabzon Airport | |

## Fleet

As of April 2024, Southwind Airlines operates the following aircraft:
Southwind Airlines fleet :
| Aircraft | In service | Orders | Passengers | Notes |
| Airbus A321-200 | 2 | — | 220 | |
| Airbus A321neo | 1 | — | 240 | |
| Airbus A330-200 | 2 | — | 345 | |
| Boeing 737 MAX 8 | 3 | — | 189 | |
| Boeing 777-300 | 3 | — | 550 | Highest density 777s in the world. |
| Boeing 777-300ER | 1 | — | 531 | |
| Total | 12 | — | | |