Gökmen Aritay is chief operation officer at Pristina International Airport Adem Jashari. Operated by Turkish conglomerate Limak, it is the only international airport in the rapidly developing Republic of Kosovo, serving a region with a population of approximately 2.5 million. Here, he shares his thoughts on today’s airports sector, from ongoing challenges to lessons learned
What is the biggest challenge facing airports today?
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all industries, including aviation and its many stakeholders, among them airports, airlines and other service providers. For aviation, this has been the most difficult period in recent years. At a time when we were projecting high numbers of airlines, customers, routes, the completion of different ongoing projects, and working hard to reach objectives, we were dealt a sudden blow by the outbreak of the pandemic. Its impact was especially strongly felt in financial terms, particularly as it was so unexpected.
