Corendon Airlines is a Turkish leisure carrier based in Antalya and İzmir, flying scheduled and charter services between Turkey and Europe. Ryanair is Europe's largest airline by passengers and an Irish ultra-low-cost carrier. Travellers compare them mainly on European routes to Turkish holiday destinations, where both sell cheap single-class economy seats.
Quick verdict
Both are no-frills, single-class, short-haul airlines with no alliance, so the choice comes down to network and what is bundled into the fare. Ryanair suits travellers who want the widest choice of routes and frequencies and are happy to pay for each extra. Corendon suits holiday travellers flying to or from Turkey who want a fare with a checked bag, seat or meal built in, though its fleet is shrinking this winter and its schedule may be thinner than in summer.
Choose Corendon Airlines if…
- You are flying a holiday route to or from Antalya, İzmir or Ankara.
- You want a fare that bundles a 23 kg or 30 kg bag, seat selection and flexible changes (Flex or Premium).
- You want a hot meal included, which the Premium All Inclusive fare offers.
Choose Ryanair if…
- You want the biggest choice of European routes, bases and daily frequencies.
- You travel light with only the free small under-seat bag and want the lowest base fare.
- You prefer a large, established carrier with a fleet of hundreds of aircraft rather than a small one.
At a glance
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Key differences
Network and hubs
Ryanair is the far larger operator. The group serves around 230 airports in 36 countries, with main bases at Dublin, London Stansted and Milan Bergamo, plus bases across the UK, Spain, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Greece and Morocco. Its network is point-to-point and Europe-focused.
Corendon flies to more than 140 destinations, mostly holiday traffic between Turkey and European cities from Antalya, İzmir and Ankara. It is the more specialised choice for Turkish resorts.
Fleet and winter capacity
Both fly only Boeing 737 family aircraft on short-haul routes (Ryanair also uses some Airbus A320s via Lauda Europe). Ryanair's group fleet was 651 aircraft in April 2026, with 150 Boeing 737 MAX 10 on order for 2027 to 2033.
Corendon has around 15 aircraft, and in September 2026 FlightGlobal reported that the Corendon group will cut its fleet from 30 to 21 this winter because of high fuel costs. Check winter timetables before booking.
Cabins and seats
Both are single-class economy only, with no business class and no lounges as standard. Corendon's 737-800 has 189 seats in a 3-3 layout with a pitch of about 30 inches, according to Seatlink, and no seatback screens or Wi-Fi are reported. Ryanair's 737 MAX 8-200 carries 197 seats. Expect a basic, dense short-haul cabin on either; Corendon's Premium fare adds seat selection and priority boarding.
Baggage and fares
Ryanair's free allowance is a small under-seat bag; a large cabin bag needs Priority Boarding, a policy in place since 2018. Check ryanair.com for current sizes and fees.
Corendon allows a 10 kg cabin bag plus a 4 kg under-seat bag. For bookings from 2 April 2026, checked bags are not included on the cheapest fares, with 20 kg on Comfort, 23 kg on Flex and 30 kg on Premium.
Food, upgrades and flexibility
On both airlines food is generally bought on board or pre-selected rather than included. The exception is Corendon's Premium (All Inclusive) fare, which includes a hot meal or snacks, a 30 kg bag, priority boarding and flexible changes or refunds. Corendon also sells lounge access as an add-on, and has advertised a €30 upgrade from Flex to Premium. Ryanair keeps to a single basic product with paid extras.
Reliability and safety
Neither airline has a fatal accident listed on Wikipedia for its own operations. Corendon's record includes a 2012 cockpit fire during pushback at Antalya and a 2024 bird-strike engine failure that ended in an emergency landing at Frankfurt. Ryanair lost landing slots at Eindhoven in November 2025 after repeated delays, which is a reminder to check connection times on tight itineraries.
Frequently asked questions
Is Ryanair better than Corendon Airlines?
Neither is better for everyone. Ryanair offers a much bigger network and usually the cheapest base fares, while Corendon is stronger for Turkish holiday routes and offers bundled fares with checked bags and meals.
Does Corendon Airlines include checked baggage?
Not on its cheapest fares. For bookings from 2 April 2026, Comfort includes 20 kg, Flex 23 kg and Premium 30 kg. The Eco fare includes a 10 kg cabin bag plus a 4 kg under-seat bag.
Do Ryanair and Corendon fly long-haul or have business class?
No. Both operate only short- and medium-haul routes with single-class economy cabins and no alliance membership.
About Corendon Airlines Read more
Overview
Corendon Airlines (legally Turistik Hava Taşımacılık A.Ş.) is a Turkish leisure airline. According to Wikipedia, it was founded in 2004, began flying in 2005 and is a subsidiary of Corendon Tourism Group. It is headquartered in Antalya. It belongs to no global alliance. Sister carriers are Corendon Dutch Airlines and Corendon Airlines Europe.
Network and hubs
The airline flies scheduled and charter services to more than 140 destinations in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. Its hubs are Antalya and İzmir Adnan Menderes, and it also has a base at Ankara Esenboğa. Most traffic is holiday flying between Turkey and European cities. It has also kept flying to Russia, including charters from Perm to Antalya announced for May 2024.
Fleet
The fleet is all Boeing 737. The Wikipedia fleet table lists 9 Boeing 737-800 and 6 Boeing 737 MAX 8, 15 aircraft in total, while Plane Finder lists 14. Counts differ between sources and change often. In September 2026, FlightGlobal reported that the Corendon group would cut its fleet from 30 to 21 aircraft this winter because of high fuel costs. Capacity and schedules may therefore be smaller than in summer.
On board
All aircraft are single-class economy. The 737-800 has 189 seats in a 3-3 layout with a pitch of about 30 inches, according to Seatlink. Kayak says there are no power sockets or Wi-Fi. Meals are generally an extra, except on the Premium fare, which includes a hot meal or snacks. Seats and meals can be pre-selected for a fee on lower fares.
Good to know
- Fares: the branded fares are Lite, Eco, Flex and Premium (All Inclusive). Premium includes a 30 kg bag, seat selection, priority boarding and flexible changes or refunds.
- Cabin baggage: the airline's baggage page allows one 10 kg bag and one 4 kg underseat bag on the Eco fare.
- Checked baggage: Flex includes 23 kg and Premium 30 kg. Extra baggage of up to 40 kg per person can be bought, and no single piece may exceed 32 kg.
- Extras: the additional services page lists seat selection, meals, priority check-in and boarding, lounge access, pets in cabin and sports equipment.
- Safety: Wikipedia lists a 2012 cockpit fire during pushback at Antalya, with injuries during the evacuation, and a 2024 bird-strike engine failure that ended in an emergency landing at Frankfurt.
About Ryanair Read more
Overview
Ryanair is an Irish ultra-low-cost airline headquartered in Swords, County Dublin. According to Wikipedia, it was founded in 1984 by Christopher Ryan and Tony Ryan, and began flying on 8 July 1985 between Waterford and London Gatwick. It is the largest airline in Europe by scheduled passengers carried, fleet size and number of flights. The parent company, Ryanair Holdings plc, is listed on Euronext Dublin and Nasdaq. Its airline subsidiaries are Ryanair DAC, Buzz, Malta Air, Lauda Europe and Ryanair UK. Michael O'Leary is group chief executive. Ryanair does not belong to any airline alliance.
Network and hubs
The group serves around 230 airports in 36 countries and operates more than 3,500 short-haul flights a day. Its main bases are Dublin, London Stansted (the largest base) and Milan Bergamo. It also has bases across the UK, Spain, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Greece, Morocco and many other countries. Wikipedia lists Berlin as ending on 24 October 2026 and Thessaloniki on 25 October 2026. The network is point-to-point and focuses on Europe, North Africa and nearby regions. There are no long-haul services.
Fleet
As of April 2026, Wikipedia lists a group fleet of 651 aircraft:
- 410 Boeing 737-800
- 210 Boeing 737 MAX 8-200 (197 seats)
- 26 Airbus A320-200, operated by Lauda Europe
- 1 Boeing 737-700, operated by Buzz
- 4 Bombardier Challenger 3500 business jets for engineering and crew transport
There are 150 Boeing 737 MAX 10 on order, with deliveries scheduled from 2027 to 2033. An earlier snapshot from Flightradar24 counted 611 aircraft in February 2026, so totals vary by source and date.
On board
Ryanair operates a single economy cabin. Seat pitch, in-flight entertainment, Wi-Fi and meal details were not confirmed in the sources reviewed. Food and drink are generally sold on board rather than included, but check the airline's website for current offerings.
Good to know
- Baggage: since August 2018, passengers must buy Priority Boarding to carry both a large and a small cabin bag, according to Wikipedia. Current bag sizes, weights and checked-bag fees should be checked on ryanair.com before travel.
- Punctuality: Ryanair lost landing slots at Eindhoven in November 2025 after repeated delays, according to Wikipedia. No on-time figure is quoted here because none was verified.
- Lounges and upgrades: none were identified in the sources reviewed.
- Group operators: some flights are operated by Buzz, Malta Air, Lauda Europe or Ryanair UK under the Ryanair brand.
Sources (3)
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