ISTANBUL: August 27, 2018. Pegasus Airlines vice president Cargo Aydin Alpa has renewed his call for the logistics industry to promote the sector to university students.

“As Pegasus Cargo, we have done six International Transportation & Logistics Conferences in Turkey,” he said. “I recommend that every major player in our sector whether airlines, forwarders, transportation / logistics companies ensure that they get involved as these students in the universities, no matter the country are our sources for future employees. The knowledge they receive from the sectors pushes them closer to our fields.”

The airline’s last student logistics conference was held in Izmir, Turkey in 2016. As with the five previous events, the airline partnered with a Turkish university - in this case Dokuz Eylul University’s Maritime Faculty Department of Logistics Management.

Throughout the series, speakers have included executives from the aviation, international logistics and transportation sectors as well as other service providers: “Through these events we have the opportunity to bring together the real life know-how of the sector professionals with students who will be the logistics professionals of the future,” said Alpa.

“While we share our valuable experiences with a view to prepare our students for the world of business, we also gain useful feedback from them about the new generation’s perceptions of international logistics and transportation,” he added.

In July the low-cost carrier reported revenue of TL1.2 billion (including cargo) for Q1 2018 and comprehensive income of TL53.37 million. Retained earnings at the beginning of the year were TL336.8 million.

As of March 31, 2018, the airline group held firm orders for 86 aircraft with eight to be delivered this year, 14 in 2019, 13 in 2020 and 2021, 10 in 2023 and 10 the following year. To finance the purchases the airline has committed TL601.4 million in 2018 in addition to TL593.6 million last year.