Aegean Sea boat crash seriously injures the owner of Turkey's Pegasus Airlines and his wife
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — The chairperson of the company that owns low-cost Turkish carrier Pegasus Airlines was injured in a boating accident while vacationing in Greece, Esas Holding said Friday. His wife, businessperson Vuslat Dogan Sabanci, also was injured.
Media reports said the couple were seriously in an accident late Thursday. A company statement later reported an “improvement” in their conditions but did not elaborate.
A speedboat taking the couple to shore crashed into rocks off the Aegean Sea island of Leros, Turkish news agency DHA and other media outlets reported.
The two were evacuated to the nearby Turkish resort of Bodrum for treatment, from where Ali Sabanci, 54, was airlifted to a hospital in Istanbul. Vuslat Dogan Sabanci, 52, was transferred later to the same hospital.
A Greek coast guard statement said there were six people on the speedboat when it crashed - four Turkish nationals, one South African and one British national. All six were taken to a hospital on Leros and four of them were released the same night. A private ambulance boat took a Turkish man and woman to Turkey, the statement said, without identifying any of the patients.
The coast guard in Leros was investigating the crash.
Ali Sabanci is a member of one of Turkey’s wealthiest families. He left the family conglomerate and founded Esas Holding with his father and sister.
The group acquired Pegasus Airlines in 2005, building it into Turkey’s second-largest airline.
