2.3 Airline Marketing Workshop - the flagship annual event of the Athens International Airport that took place on March 14th, 2024 - awarded the airlines with the best performance for 2023
Under the slogan "Let's make the right move", AIA’s 2.3 Airline Marketing Workshop took industry professionals to the world of the ultimate strategy game, which is no other than chess, inviting the Athens Airport Community to continue collectively making... "the right move".
Focusing on the art of strategy, the airport’s Airline Marketing Workshop was staged again this year as a highly-sophisticated Chess Game , in the presence of more than 200 attendees.
Beyond the areas of the aviation, tourism, economy and geopolitics , a special hour of this year’s Workshop was when chess legend Garry Kasparov guided the audience to the "heart" of this year's Conference, the Art of Strategic Thinking.
Το honor and thank the distinguished speakers, we even designed and patented a special Athens Airport Community chess, with the King being the Airport’s Control Tower, the Queen being Goddess Athina holding an aircraft in her hands and each of the chess pieces representing a different member of the airport community value chain.
Philos the Athenian - the Airport’s Mascot- is the chess pawn, symbolizing the “heart” of the airport’s philosophy: hospitality and high level of services offered to our passengers and visitors.
This special chess was the gift offered to the Workshop’s Speakers.
The Workshop was concluded with the annual AIA Awards’ Ceremony , presenting awards to the airlines with the most successful performance in 2023. Athens International Airport once again awarded the airlines that recorded the fastest growth during the previous year, recording significant growth rates and increased passenger traffic on their scheduled services to and from Athens.
Airlines that achieved the most successful development path last year at Athens International Airport were recently honored during a ceremony in Athens.
The awards presented by Athens International Airport, recognize the significant growth rates and highest increases in passenger volumes of airlines on their scheduled flights to and from Athens.
The airlines’ awards for the 2023 performance, were:
• Fastest Growing Airline in the Domestic Market
Winner: AEGEAN
Highly Commended: SKY express
• Fastest Growing Airline in Western Europe
Winner: ITA Airways
Highly Commended: SKY express
• Fastest Growing Airline in Eastern Europe
Winner: Wizz Air
Highly Commended: Air Serbia
• Fastest Growing Airline in the Middle East
Winner: Wizz Air
Highly Commended: Qatar Airways
• Fastest Growing Airline in Africa
Winner: AEGEAN
Highly Commended: EGYPTAIR
• Fastest Growing Airline in Asia
Winner: Scoot
Highly Commended: Air China
• Fastest Growing Airline in Eastern Europe in America
Winner: Emirates
• Fastest Growing Airline on a seasonal route / Europe
Winner: Jet2
Highly Commended: Norwegian
• Fastest Growing Airline on a seasonal route / America
Winner: Delta Air Lines
Highly Commended: Air Canada
• “Best of the Top 10 Airlines” Award for 2023
Winner: Wizz Air
• Overall Traffic Performance Award for 2023
Winner: AEGEAN
Highly Commended: SKY express
• AIA’s special award «You’re An AΘenian, too!» was presented to Mr. Stefan Merkenhof, GBR Consulting, for his contribution for many years, surveying the Athenian chessboard of visitors!
Ioanna Papadopoulou, Director of Communications & Marketing, AIA, stated for this year's Airline Marketing Workshop:
"With great pleasure, as always, and - primarily with Strategic Thinking this year - we were delighted to organize the "Let's make the right move!” Workshop. We welcomed our airline partners and guest speakers to a ... "Chess Academy" we prepared in an emblematic Athenian venue, the Zappeion Hall, to explore together, trends, opportunities and challenges, and to share the strategic thinking and experience of distinguished speakers!
The reciprocal and efficient relationship enjoyed with our airline partners on our common path of development and growth, is characterized by the energy and the spirit of excellent cooperation. Looking ahead, we once again express our sincere thanks to our airlines and we remain committed to the enhancement of our city’s connectivity through the strong collaboration that we have built through the years."