As one of the world's best airports and Europe's largest, in terms of passenger volume, Istanbul Airport has consistently earned recognition from prestigious institutions. Its proactive measures during the global COVID-19 crisis and unwavering commitment to investment, demonstrating corporate resilience, have earned the airport two additional prestigious awards in the industry.

Airports Council International (ACI) has recognized Istanbul Airport as the 'Best Airport in Europe' in the category of over 40 million passengers, and presented the 'Accessible Airport' award, as part of the 17th ACI Europe Awards.

This year's criteria: Resilience and Inspiration

ACI, having previously initiated the 'Net Zero 2050' movement to address the climate crisis and reduce the carbon footprint of airports, announced that this year's focus will be on inspiring efforts in COVID-19 improvements and sustainability. By incorporating 'Resilience and Inspiration' into their standard award criteria, ACI aims to identify 'Europe's Best Airport'. Istanbul Airport, with a business model centered on durability in the new era, has set itself apart by implementing agile decision-making mechanisms that minimize the margin of error.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, an event that significantly challenged the world, and the negative effects of which were felt the most by the aviation sector, Istanbul Airport was recognized for its effective crisis management, ensuring that transportation and trade continued at the highest possible level.

Its success in the area of accessibility has also been recognized with an award

Istanbul Airport was recognized with the 'Accessible Airport' award by the International Airports Council, due to its commitment to fostering an accessibility culture and the implementation of a barrier-free airport concept from its design stage. It garnered attention with its distinctive services, including specialized passenger service points constructed on both the landside and airside areas of the terminal, a video call center, the Loud Steps application, and designated adult changing rooms. Having met all the accessibility standards, including Priority Entrance, Accessible Elevator, Vehicle Parking Points, Accessible Route, Very Special Guest Card, and the Sunflower Lanyard, Istanbul Airport has been recognized for setting an exemplary standard in the industry due to its exceptional services, heightened awareness, and adoption of the "everyone has the right to travel" principle.

The awards were presented to Kadri Samsunlu, Chief Executive Officer of iGA Istanbul Airport, during a ceremony on October 26th, as part of the ACI Europe Annual Congress & General Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland.

Kadri Samsunlu, CEO of iGA Istanbul Airport, was elected onto the ACI Europe Governing Board.

During the ACI Europe Annual Congress & General Assembly, Samsunlu was elected as a member of the Governing Board, representing the quota reserved for the 10 largest airports in Europe. Samsunlu, the first and only board member from Türkiye, out of 10 airports, emphasized their unwavering commitment to sustainability goals during the pandemic. Samsunlu highlighted the goal of achieving net-zero emissions across all operations by 2050 and emphasized that strengthening ACI's ties with the Turkish aviation sector, as well as easing travel restrictions, are among his top priorities during his term.

"We have been at the forefront with our efforts and have established a level of trust."

During the award ceremony, Kadri Samsunlu, Chief Executive Officer of iGA Istanbul Airport, drew attention to the measures implemented during the pandemic that influenced the future path of the industry. "At the onset of the pandemic, our airport had the capacity to accommodate 200,000 passengers a day in its inaugural year, and continued to progress along this trajectory." During a period when only cargo flights and evacuation operations were ongoing, and flights were restricted, we did not just accept the circumstances, and remain idle. We looked for ways to accommodate our passengers in a healthier, safer manner and to ensure a safe working environment for our employees. Through our efforts, we have paved the way for individuals to resume their old flying habits, building trust in the process. In the future, we are aiming to expand our service offerings related to the 'Accessible Route', enhance our services by persisting in our airport experience studies with various disability groups, and promote the widespread adoption of the solutions we have implemented for a more accessible world. We are thrilled to have been awarded the 'Europe's Best Airport' and 'Accessible Airport' awards, and to be able to share this well-earned recognition with our entire team. These awards will strengthen our motivation and contribute to the realization of our numerous initiatives that will inspire the industry," Samsunlu stated.

In his celebratory speech about the achievements of Istanbul Airport, ACI Europe General Director, Olivier Jankovec, remarked, "Amidst these unprecedented and challenging circumstances that our industry is experiencing, Istanbul Airport demonstrated remarkable resilience by concentrating on its investments and infrastructure. The achievement of winning not just one, but two accolades - the Best Airport Award and the Accessible Airport Award - is a clear indication of how they maintained their unparalleled hospitality towards their passengers without compromising on their long-term objectives for their business and the community. It brings me immense pleasure to witness the celebration of their dual accomplishments. I am looking forward to seeing what this innovative and exciting airport will achieve in the future."