2013-03-20 — /travelprnews.com/ — Istanbul Ataturk Airport operated by TAV Airports was selected as the “Airport of the Year” at ATN (Air Transport News) Awards held prior to ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) meeting organized annually by the United Nations. The most prestigious awards in the Aviation industry were presented to the winners during a ceremony held in Montreal.
Istanbul Ataturk Airport where the domestic and international terminals are operated by TAV Airports Holding, the leading global brand of Turkey in airport operating business, was chosen “the Airport of the Year” for the progress it has made. The winners were elected by a jury panel consisting of leading names of the aviation industry and presented the awards during a ceremony held in Montreal, Canada. “The Airport of the Year” award was received by the State Airports Authority (DHMI) General Manager Orhan Birdal and TAV Airports GCC Director Waleed Youssef.
DHMI General Manager Orhan Birdal said “Istanbul is the heart of the Turkish Aviation industry which continues to grow consistently. In 2012, a total of 364,322 aircrafts landed in and took off from the Ataturk Airport and 1,000 aircrafts on average were provided service on a daily basis while 114 commercial airlines scheduled flights to 284 airports worldwide. Including the passenger traffic of 15 million at Sabiha Gokcen, the total number of passengers in Istanbul, adds up to 60 million. This indicates that almost half of the Turkey’s air traffic of 131,029,516 passengers is handled in Istanbul. According to the data on the passenger traffic in major airports in 2012 obtained by International Airports Council, Ataturk Airport topped the list in Europe and the world with 21% growth in passenger numbers. Istanbul became the center of the air traffic in Europe with 6 million transfer passengers traveling via Ataturk Airport in 2012. It is currently in the 6th position in Europe and continues to rise. Managing a major portion of the air traffic in Turkey and the world as well as serving millions of passengers, Ataturk Airport has been displaying an exemplary administrative accomplishment that is admired by the authorities in the sector. It is now globally recognized for its technical equipment, traffic safety and order as well as outstanding skills in air traffic management. These achievements are, of course, the results of our meticulous work. We are doing our best to prevent any serious problems in relation to our field of service at Ataturk Airport. We are enjoying the fruitful outcomes of our hard work. During the past year, we managed to preclude the delays due to heavy air traffic. We are carrying out constant work and regulations in this respect. We are taking all necessary measures. Runway arrangements and navigational regulations without compromising from flight safety are among those efforts. The achievements that are crowned by the awards are the proofs of DHMI becoming a global brand. We take pride in fulfilling our promises in facilitating the airway transport for the common good. I sincerely congratulate all TAV managers and employees as well as the human resource at DHMI who transformed Ataturk Airport into the world’s best airport with their operational skills and wish them further success.“
TAV Airports CEO/Executive Board Member Sani Sener said “It is a great honor to be receiving this award by a jury of distinguished experts in the aviation industry. It is also a great achievement to receive this award at a time when Istanbul Ataturk Airport is growing at an exceptional rate of 20% every year and is therefore a tribute to all our staff that TAV consistently maintains very high industry standards and handle complex operational challenges. We are happy to see such an achievement by TAV even though it is a young company. Three major players from Turkey are now listed amongst the most successful in the world when DHMI’s success in privatization in line with the vision of the Ministry of Transportation, their investments at the air side of Istanbul Ataturk Airport, their success and the importance they attach to the management of the aircraft traffic that has been increasing as a result of their investments in air traffic control are combined with the participative work of THY, TAV and DHMI at Ataturk Airport. THY, Celebi and Ataturk Airport operated by TAV and DHMI were selected as the Airline of the Year, Ground Handler of the Year and Airport of the Year respectively.”
Ataturk Airport where the passenger numbers has reached 45 million with an increase by 20% in 2012 is now listed amongst the top 20 largest airports in the world. The airport, where an average of 1000 aircraft land and take off on a daily basis, has now become one of the major connection centers between Europe and the Middle East as well as Asia and Pacific. According to the data published by ACI, whilst the airports in Europe and North America are not able to grow due to the economic recession, Istanbul Ataturk Airport is, by far, the fastest growing airport in its own category.
This year, THY and Celebi also received the “Airline of the Year” and “Ground Handler of the Year” awards respectively at ATN Awards.
The winners by category are as follows:
. Regional Aircraft Manufacturer of the Year: Bombardier
. Aircraft Manufacturer of the Year: Airbus
. Engine Manufacturer of the Year: Rolls-Royce
. Ground Handler of the Year: Celebi Holding
. IT Company of the Year: SITA
. MRO Company of the Year: Lufthansa Technik
. Airline Alliance of the Year: Star Alliance
. Airport of the Year under 10 Million Passengers: Rajiv Gandhi International Airport
. Airport of the Year 10-30 Million Passengers: Genève Aéroport
. Airport of the Year: Istanbul Ataturk Airport
. Cargo Airline of the Year: FedEx
. Regional Airline of the Year: SilkAir
. Low Cost Airline of the Year: AirAsia
. Airline of the Year: Turkish Airlines
. George Latrou Lifetime Achievement Award: Professor Tae Oum, President, ATRS
. Woman of the Year: Angela Gittens, Director General, ACI
. Leader of the Year: Raymond Benjamin, Secretary General, ICAO
About TAV Airports
TAV Airports maintains its leading position in the airport operations sector in Turkey. TAV Airports operates Istanbul Ataturk, Ankara Esenboga, Izmir Adnan Menderes and Antalya Gazipasa Airports in Turkey as well as Tbilisi and Batumi Airports in Georgia, Monastir and Enfidha-Hamammet Airports in Tunisia and Skopje and Ohrid Airports in Macedonia. The Holding has also undertaken the construction and operation of Medinah Airport, the first airport privatization in Saudi Arabia. TAV Airports also operates in other areas of airport operations including duty free, food and beverage, ground handling, IT, security and operation services. Within the same context, TAV Airports also operates duty free, food and beverage and other commercial areas at Riga Airport in Latvia. Together with its subsidiaries, the Company provided services to approximately 575,000 flights and 72 million passengers in 2012.