The ’34th Annual General Assembly of Airports Council International Europe’ organized by IGA Istanbul Airport was held

The ’34th Annual General Assembly of the Airports Council International Europe’ organized by IGA Istanbul Airport was held in Beşiktaş. Demonstrating its determination in shaping the future of the global aviation sector in Beşiktaş, IGA Istanbul Airport organized the ’34th Annual General Assembly of the Airports Council International Europe’. At the congress, Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, CEO of IGA Istanbul Airport Selahattin Bilgen, and ACI Europe Director General Oliver Jankovec delivered opening speeches. The congress hosted over 500 airport professionals, leading CEOs, and top-level executives of the sector, addressing topics such as inter-member cooperation, information sharing, the future of the aviation sector, and opportunities.
In his opening speech at the ’34th Annual General Assembly of the Airports Council International Europe’, Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu stated, ‘Our airport has maintained its position as Europe’s busiest airport with an average of 1,520 flights per day for years. In fact, on Sunday, June 30, the airport set a new record by serving 268,275 passengers, the highest number of passengers since its opening. Furthermore, in the evaluation of aircraft departures of the world’s top 25 global airports, our airport ranked 7th worldwide.’
Referring to the Airport Industry Connectivity Report published by the Airports Council International Europe yesterday, Minister Uraloğlu pointed out the significant achievements of Turkey and Istanbul Airport in the sector. He highlighted Turkey’s 24% increase compared to the pre-COVID-19 period of June 2019, ranking third among EU and non-EU countries. He also mentioned a 4% growth compared to the same period last year and the airport’s leading position with 34,269 total air connections. Istanbul Airport stood out as the top airport in Europe in terms of direct connections. Additionally, Istanbul Airport and Sabiha Gökçen Airport as Turkish HUB Centers provided the best direct connections to the Middle East. Istanbul Airport increased its center connections by 87% since 2019, reaching 57,060 connections.
During his speech at the ’34th Annual General Assembly of the Airports Council International Europe’, CEO Selahattin Bilgen of IGA Istanbul Airport expressed pride in introducing Istanbul, a city with a rich cultural heritage, to the rest of the world through the airport. He emphasized the rapid growth of the airport since its establishment, becoming one of the world’s leading aviation centers with state-of-the-art facilities and innovative initiatives in sustainability, passenger satisfaction, and operational excellence. Bilgen highlighted the strategic location at the intersection of Europe and Asia, working with over 100 airlines to serve 316 destinations, emphasizing their global impact. The airport, capable of accommodating 90 million passengers annually with three parallel runways, will continue to pioneer with Europe’s first triple parallel runway operation in the near future.
Bilgen mentioned the airport’s goal to become the world’s first airport operating entirely on renewable resources. He emphasized their commitment to environmental sustainability while continuing their rapid growth. He proudly acknowledged the significant progress of IGA Istanbul Airport in adopting green energy solutions to meet global demand for sustainable energy. With strategic initiatives like the Eskisehir Solar Power Plant Project, they aim to become the world’s first airport operating entirely on renewable resources. By investing €212 million in the Eskisehir GES Project, they plan to establish a 199.32 MWp unlicensed Solar Power Plant on a vast 3 million square meter area in Eskisehir. Through such strategic initiatives, they aim to maintain their pioneering position in transitioning the sector to clean energy. Bilgen expressed his pleasure in participating in important discussions to address the challenges faced by the aviation industry and to create plans to overcome them, while looking forward to working towards a prosperous future for the aviation sector.