The results of the 2016 Air Transport News Awards were announced: Success for Turkish Companies!

Turkish Airlines has been awarded “Airline of The Year”  Turkish Cargo won “Cargo Airline of the Year” award, Turkish Technic won  “MRO Company of  the Year” award and Istanbul Ataturk Airport, operated by TAV Airports, won “Airport of the Year” awards  in 2016 Air Transport News Awards…

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As the only international prizes that award all the main categories of the air transport industry, 2016 Air Transport News Awards Ceremony took place in Mozart Residence, Salzburg. Turkish Airlines and its sub-brands were again among the winners. Turkish Airlines has been awarded “Airline of The Year”. Turkish Cargo won “Cargo Airline of the Year” award and Turkish Technic won “MRO Company of the Year” award in 2016 Air Transport News Awards. Operated by TAV Airports, Istanbul Ataturk Airport won the “Airport of the Year” award  in 2016 Air Transport News Awards

İlker Ayci, Chairman of the Board and the Executive Comittee Turkish Airlines stated as follow for the “Airline of the Year Award”: “As the Turkish Airlines network grows every day by offering more and more services, the  satisfaction of our guests is still our first priority. We have succeed a significant rise by increasing the number of our passengers from 10.3 million (in 2002) to nearly 62 million last year. With total 284 flight destinations to 113 countries, we became the airline that flies to the most countries in the world. In 2016, we anticipate carrying 72 million passengers. Our fleet has reached 304 today; one of the youngest fleets in Europe. We’ll continue to grow by purchasing new airplanes and by adding new destinations to our global flight network. Turkish Airlines has been awarded the Best Airline Europe by Skytrax five years in a row. In 2023, we aim to increase our number of passengers from nearly 60 million to 120 million, and our number of aircrafts from 300 to more than 450. With the completion of the new airport in Istanbul,Turkish Airlines will achieve a much different momentum.

İlker Ayci, Chairman of the Board and the Executive Comittee Turkish Airlines stated as follow for the “Cargo Airline of the Year Award”: “Turkish Cargo as a sub-brand of Turkish Airlines, utilizing its flight network and fleet along with its own freighters, has become  one of the fastest growing players in the global air cargo industry. Turkish Cargo achieved 18% yearly average growth over the past decade. Turkish Cargo increased its cargo and mail volume to  720.000 tons in 2015 and aims to be in “The League of Millions” in terms of cargo carried. With the existing fleet structure, cargo services to 61 cargo destinations are on offer besides 284 destinations with passengers aircraft. Today, Turkish Cargo carries cargo and mails to more countries than any other airline and has the widest international network. Turkish Cargo continues its investments without deceleration like the new cargo terminal in Istanbul Ataturk Airport. Turkish Cargo will have 150,000 m2 enclosed area in the new airport in Istanbul. Turkish Cargo is strongly committed to increase service quality day by day and to promote Istanbul to become a global logistics centre.”

TURKISH TECHNIC

TAV Airports President and CEO Sani Şener remarked: “Customer satisfaction lays at the core of all our operations since the establishment of TAV. We closely follow the needs and demands of our passengers and provide solutions accordingly. The products and services that we innovate are employed at 70 airports in 17 countries. Istanbul Atatürk Airport was the third busiest airport of Europe surpassing London and Paris by providing services to 61.3 million passengers last year. During this process there have been comprehensive developments at Istanbul Ataturk in order to provide an enhanced passenger experience. We have renovated and redesigned the duty-free and F&B spaces as to comply with the passenger flow at the terminals. Biometric passport control was introduced. Our accessibility program was selected as a best-practice at the UN. Consequently, we have been awarded the ASQ award for the airport with the most increase in service quality, a direct appreciation of our passengers. As soon as the additional facility, which is about to be completed at the international terminal, opens into service, Ataturk Airport will be ready to serve around 75-80 million passengers annually. We thanks all our stakeholders, especially the General Directorate of State Airports Authority, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Turkish Airlines and all our employees who contributed to this success.”

“On behalf of Turkish Technic, I am honoured to receive such an iconic award, “MRO Company of the Year” from a jury of distinguished experts in the aviation industry. This award records that Turkish Technic is the worlds new rising brand of MRO business.”  said Ahmet Karaman, CEO of Turkish Airlines Technic.

“I am pleased and honoured by the fact that that Air Transport News Awards have become one of the most important awards in the air transport industry and this year were hosted in this exceptional place. These awards present the commitment of Air Transport News to recognize the achievements of the best companies, leaders and practices in the air transportation. I would like to thank Stiftung Mozarteum Salzburg that kindly offered the venue, UATP for the partnership, the jury of experts and our readers” stated Dr Kostas Iatrou, Managing Director of Air Transport News.

The Chairperson of the jury for ATN Awards 2016 was Jeff Poole, Director General, CANSO. The other members of the jury were Bob Aaronson, ex Director General, ACI, Raymond Benjamin, ex Secretary General, ICAO , Dr. Pierre Coutu, Program Executive, AMPAP, Ralph Kaiser, CEO, UATP, Simon McNamara, Director General, ERA and Dr. Charles E. Schlumberger, Lead Air Transport Specialist, World Bank.

About Turkish Airlines:

Established in 1933 with a fleet of five aircraft, Star Alliance member Turkish Airlines is a 4-star airline today with a fleet of 304  passenger and cargo) aircraft flying to 284 destinations worldwide with 235 international and 49 domestic. According to Skytrax survey of 2015, Turkish Airlines was chosen “Europe’s Best Airline” for the fifth and “Best Airline in Southern Europe” for the seventh consecutive time. Having won in 2010 the world’s “Best Economy Catering Service”, in 2013 the world’s “Best Business Catering Service”, and in 2014 “Best Business Catering Service” awards, Turkish Airlines was  awarded in 2015  the world’s “Best Business Class Lounge Dining” and “Best Business Airline Lounge”  prizes in the Skytrax survey. More information about Turkish Airlines can be found on www.turkishairlines.com.

About Star Alliance:

The Star Alliance network was established in 1997 as the first truly global airline alliance to offer worldwide reach, recognition and seamless service to the international traveller. Its acceptance by the market has been recognized by numerous awards, including the Air Transport World Market Leadership Award and Best Airline Alliance by both Business Traveller Magazine and Skytrax. The member airlines are: Adria Airways, Aegean Airlines, Air Canada, Air China, Air India, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Austrian, Avianca, Brussels Airlines, Copa Airlines, Croatia Airlines, EGYPTAIR, Ethiopian Airlines, EVA Air, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, SWISS, TAP Portugal, Turkish Airlines, THAI and United. The integration of Avianca Brasil is currently in progress. Overall, the Star Alliance network currently offers more than 18,500 daily flights to 1,321 airports in 193 countries For additional information visit www.staralliance.com and/or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube or LinkedIn.

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, Gazipasa Alanya and Milas Bodrum Airports in Turkey as well as Tbilisi and Batumi Airports in Georgia, Monastir and Enfidha-Hamammet Airports in Tunisia, Skopje and Ohrid Airports in Macedonia, Medinah Airport in Saudi Arabia and Zagreb Airport in Croatia. TAV Airports is also active 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 780,000 flights and 102 million passengers in 2015. www.tavairports.com