Freebird Airlines (FH) Guide

Freebird Airlines is a Turkish leisure airline that carries holidaymakers from Germany and other European countries to the Turkish Riviera.

Please note: bookingMentor is an independent travel service and is not affiliated with Freebird Airlines. Routes, schedules and baggage rules change, so always confirm the details of your booking with the airline.

What to expect

Freebird Airlines is a Turkish leisure airline that flies holidaymakers between Germany and other European countries and the resort airports of Antalya, Bodrum and Dalaman. It suits travellers on package holidays to the Turkish Riviera and the Aegean coast, and people looking for direct flight-only seats from German cities to those resorts.

Who runs Freebird

Freebird was founded in 2000 and flew its first commercial service on 5 April 2001. The registered company is Hurkus Hava Yolu Tasimaciligi ve Ticaret A.S., part of the Gozen Holding group, and the head office is in Istanbul. For two decades the airline flew almost entirely charter flights sold through tour operators. In January 2022 it added scheduled flights that anyone can book directly.

The airline has a few firsts in the Turkish charter market. In 2002 it became the first Turkish airline to gain ISO 9001:2000 certification, and in 2006 it was the first Turkish charter airline added to the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) registry.

Antalya, Bodrum and Dalaman bases

Antalya Airport has been the main base since 2013, and Bodrum and Dalaman are the other two Turkish bases. All three are holiday gateways: Antalya for Side, Belek, Alanya and Kemer; Bodrum for the Bodrum peninsula; Dalaman for Fethiye, Marmaris and Gocek. Berlin, Cologne/Bonn and Dusseldorf are Freebird's busiest airports in Germany.

The scheduled network centres on Germany, with flights from Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg, Stuttgart, Nuremberg, Hannover and other cities. Charter flights for tour companies reach Spain, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Estonia, Denmark, Greece and the Czech Republic, and the airline serves about 100 destinations across the year. Summer is the main season for both charter and scheduled flights.

Freebird Airlines Europe

Freebird Airlines Europe is a subsidiary registered in Malta. It was set up in 2018 and started flying on 20 February 2019. Holding a European Union operating certificate lets it fly charter routes between EU countries that a Turkish-registered airline cannot operate. It flies three of the group's Airbus A320s.

Booking and connections

Freebird is not part of any global airline alliance, and we found no frequent flyer programme in the sources we checked. Connections to other airlines need a separate booking, so leave plenty of time if you are joining a Freebird flight from another trip, because the second airline has no duty to wait or rebook you.

Package holidays are still the main way people fly with Freebird. If you bought a package from a German or other European tour operator, your flight times, check-in rules and bag allowance come from the operator's travel documents. Flight-only seats on the scheduled routes can be bought on the Freebird Airlines website.

Practical tips for resort airports

Antalya, Bodrum and Dalaman handle large holiday crowds in summer, so leave extra time for check-in and security on the way home. Check which terminal your Freebird flight uses before you leave the hotel. Charter timings can shift before departure, and tour operators send any changes through their own channels.

Travel tip: on a flight-only booking, check what your fare includes before you pay, and add a checked bag at the time of booking if you need one.