As part of its coronavirus safety measures, SunExpress is giving passengers the option to book a vacant middle seat for a small fee.

The joint venture of Turkey’s national flag carrier Turkish Airlines (THY) and German carrier Lufthansa said in a statement Wednesday that the offer applies to all connections in the SunExpress network.

The offer starts from TL 59.99 ($8) on domestic routes and 39.99 euros ($47) on international routes, the airline said in a statement.

"In times of the coronavirus pandemic, space is a major concern for many of our customers," said Peter Glade, the chief commercial officer at SunExpress, noting that many frequently expressing the wish for a guaranteed empty middle seat.

"In recent weeks, our guests have frequently expressed the wish for a guaranteed empty middle seat. We are, therefore, all the more pleased to be able to offer customers this extra service in the future," Glade noted.

Based in sunny Antalya on Turkey's Mediterranean coast, SunExpress was founded in 1989 as a joint venture of THY and Lufthansa.

The carrier in June said it will shut down its German charter arm, SunExpress Deutschland, and will restructure its business to focus on leisure flights to and from Turkey, as well as domestic flights in the country.

Last year it saw a passenger load factor of 83% and carried an impressive total of over 10 million travelers.