iGA Istanbul Airport has hosted the 28th edition of Routes World, the largest event in the global aviation industry.
Thousands of senior executives, tourism delegates, airline suppliers and the presidents of the world’s leading airlines attended Routes World 2023, held in Istanbul from October 15-17 in partnership with the Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA). Routes World offers an opportunity for airlines and airports to establish new routes that will enhance relationships in trade, tourism and diplomatic fields.
This year’s event brought together more than 600 senior executives representing approximately 260 airlines as well as over 3,300 aviation professionals, reaching a record number of attendees for Routes World. During the course of the three-day event, which included exhibition stands, panel discussions and speeches from leading aviation experts as well as one-to-one meetings and interviews, more than 13,000 collaboration meetings are said to have taken place. Among the attendees were major airlines such as Air France, Emirates, Japan Airlines, Qantas, and Turkish Airlines. Airports represented included Dublin, Ontario, Brussels and Chengdu Tianfu.
Selahattin Bilgen, acting CEO of iGA Istanbul Airport, said of the event: “Observing a wealth of new partnerships forged in just three days and witnessing first-hand the strategic foresight and productivity employed in shaping our industry's future was truly invaluable."
Mehmet Kalyoncu emphasised the importance of airports being designed for people, mirroring the essence of cities
Witnessing first-hand the strategic foresight and productivity employed in shaping our industry's future was truly invaluable
Ismail Hakki Polat said the main issue with airport planning is establishing who the space will serve
Besides striving to leave a lasting impression on all passengers who set foot in our airport, we have done our best to improve Istanbul as well
Insights from iGA Istanbul Airport
On October 16, iGA Istanbul Airport board member Mehmet Kalyoncu, participated in the ‘Airports and Cities’ panel. Kalyoncu emphasised the necessity and importance of airports being designed for people, mirroring the essence of cities.
He explained: “Every single visitor to iGA Istanbul Airport has personally experienced both the triumphs of our terminal and the substantial enhancements it has ushered into our city's landscape. Besides striving to leave a lasting impression on all passengers who set foot in our airport, we have done our best to improve Istanbul as well. Our location outside the city centre significantly alleviates city traffic, and people no longer face issues such as missing flights due to traffic as much as they used to. Thanks to our metro line, reaching the city centre by public transport within 25 minutes is possible.
“Operationally, we are working more efficiently every passing day. We reduced aircraft taxi time to 13 minutes. Additionally, we have cut carbon emissions by 20% compared to 2019.”
Stating that the passenger experience team conducts scientific research on how to make passengers with different needs happy, with support from expert psychologists and consultants, Kalyoncu added: “We strive to take into consideration the expectations of passengers from different segments, such as families with children, passengers over the age of 65, the disabled, pet owners and international passengers, and we are proud to be able to facilitate the travel experiences of all our guests from different segments.”
Routes World 2024 will take place in Bahrain
Airport planning insights
Deputy manager of iGA Istanbul Airport, Ismail Hakki Polat, who is responsible for planning, sat on the ‘Airport Planning and Master Plans’ panel. Polat told attendees that although the first things that come to mind when thinking about airports are terminals and runways, the main issue with airport planning is establishing who the space will serve.
Routes World 2024
Routes World 2024 will be hosted in Bahrain. Speaking at the handover ceremony, Selahattin Bilgen said: “It was very valuable to see industry professionals from different countries around the world establish so many new connections in a short period and to witness their productivity and foresight in planning the future of our industry. We are aware of how busy the aviation industry is, so we are grateful for this valuable time. This organisation brought representatives from 215 countries and allowed key players in the aviation industry to come together on a global scale. We wish Bahrain all the best as it hosts Routes World 2024."
Images: Routes World
