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iGA - Istanbul Airport

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"Airport of the Year" award to Istanbul Airport

Istanbul Airport has been deemed worthy of the "Airport of the Year" award at the "2021 Air Transport Awards", one of the most prestigious publications in the global aviation industry.

Leading the best customer-oriented airports in Turkey, Istanbul Airport continues to win awards in the international arena.

Istanbul Airport is a winner of the 2021 Air Transport Awards, an event organized annually by Air Transport News who reaches out consumers travelling frequently and experiencing travel and accommodation opportunities and collects their opinions on airports all around the globe. At the award ceremony where Istanbul was selected the "Airport of the Year", Qatar Airways was deemed worthy of the "Airline Company of the Year" award. ACI World Director General Luis Felipe de Oliviera was deemed worthy of the "Leader of the Year" award. The award was presented to Ismail Hakki Polat, iGA Airport Deputy General Manager for Planning, at the "Summer Aviation Forum" held in Athens, Greece on September 3, 2021.

The winners of the competition, which included Singapore Changi, Doha, Dubai, Lisbon and Geneva airports in the past, are determined by more than 4000 readers and leading executives of the aviation industry.

The "2021 Air Transport Awards" are organized annually in cooperation with Hermes - Air Transport Organization, ATN (Air Transport News), and ALA (America Latina Aeronoticias). Board members include leading organizations of the aviation industry such as Airports Council International (ACI), International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and International Air Transport Association (IATA). Determined by various experts and readers, Air Transport Awards is known as the only international award in the world that evaluates and rewards 14 different categories of the aviation industry.

"Istanbul Airport outperformed other airports around the world."

Ismail Hakki Polat, iGA Airport Deputy General Manager for Planning commented on Istanbul Airport receiving "The Airport of the Year" award at the 2021 Air Transport Awards: "We managed to continue our operations seamlessly despite the Covid-19 pandemic. We did not interrupt our investments and incorporated with new airlines. The international certificates and awards we received are a concrete proof our success. We are delighted to be deemed worthy of another international award.  It is an honor to receive the "Airport of the Year" award at the 2021 Air Transport Awards which are determined by aviation industry experts and readers. Last year, the winner of this precious award was Geneva Airport. The fact that Istanbul Airport became this year's winner by outperforming many airports in the world is a strong indicator that we excel in our business. As Turkey's gateway to the world, Istanbul Airport will certainly be deemed worthy of many more awards in the future thanks to the unique travel experience it offers and its service approach."

Dr. Kostas Iatrou, General Director and CEO of Air Transport News said: "Congratulations to the winners. These corporations managed to overcome the worst crisis the aviation industry has ever faced. In these difficult times, achieving success is more important and more difficult than ever before. Hence, these institutions have proven their outstanding leadership capabilities beyond any doubt. iGA Istanbul Airport was the first airport in the world to participate in ACI's Airport Health Accreditation program in 2020 and the first airport to be reaccredited in 2021 by demonstrating an exemplary leadership among other airports."

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