'Bul market laid bare...

When Kadri Samsunlu resigned from his role as CEO of iGA Istanbul Airport in September 2023, it was a sudden and unexpected departure. He had been at the helm since the facility opened in 2017, making a valuable contribution to its success.

Stepping into his shoes was no small order, but Selahattin Bilgen has risen to the challenge as acting CEO. With a background in corporate and investment banking, Bilgen was a long-term insider at the airport, having worked as CFO since its inception.

Describing himself as “sincere, patient and hardworking,” Bilgen notes these are qualities that resonate across the whole iGA Istanbul team.

“We started from scratch with iGA. It’s one of the largest start-up airport projects. We began with around 100 employees and now there’s more than 11,000. I’ve been here since the start in 2014, as have many in the management team, so we’re all passionate about what we’re doing. It is this team culture that has contributed to the airport’s year-on-year success,” Bilgen told Arabian Aerospace.

Having served 76 million passengers in 2023, the airport, which prides itself on being accessible to all passengers, marked its third consecutive year as the busiest airport in Europe (Istanbul is a city of two halves, straddling the banks of Asia and Europe). Also ranking among the top 10 busiest airports in the world, it is now targeting 85 million passengers in 2024.

“The airport has grown rapidly, but there is still huge potential on the aeronautical side,” said Bilgen, referencing North and South America as well as China as under-tapped markets.

Prior to the airport’s opening, there were no Chinese carriers serving Istanbul, now there are four. “We are in talks with airlines including Delta and Transat, as well as Asian carriers, to expand our network further,” he revealed. “Our strategy is to demonstrate that we are strategically positioned within three hours flying time from around 160 key destinations and that we have capacity to serve airlines at peak hours. What’s more, our fees for airlines are three times cheaper than London Heathrow.”

Bilgen also alluded to Turkey’s strong domestic market and Istanbul’s status as a popular transfer hub, with iGA working alongside multiple carriers to develop a “transfer bundle package”.

Given the Turkish capital’s status as a major hub for cruise ships, plans are also afoot to collaborate with Istanbul’s Galataport Cruise Terminal to develop a 24/7 passenger transfer service between the airport and seaport. The airport also aims to become a regional cargo transit centre and launched its Airport Cargo Stakeholder Platform at the end of 2023 to facilitate the digitalisation of air cargo procedures.

Additionally, there is a strong focus on non-aeronautical revenues. As well as an impressive duty-free shopping area that resembles more of a shopping mall, the departures terminal also boasts a Youth Lounge offering a PlayStation, audio system and table football. There’s even an airport museum showcasing Turkish culture, which is currently exhibiting 316 works, and a library thanks to a collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Istanbul Technical University.

Meanwhile, those wanting to catch up on some rest can choose between comfortable television viewing areas, Sleepods, Napzone areas or the airside YOTEL Istanbul Airport.

Sustainability is also high on the agenda for Bilgen as he explained: “We have already committed to being net zero by 2050. It won’t be without challenges, but being a relatively new airport has provided us with a huge advantage. Our 1.4 million sqm terminal building has been Gold LEED certified since opening and we have committed to International Finance Corporation (IFC) Performance Standards on environmental and social sustainability. Looking ahead, we are installing a solar array to power our entire electricity consumption, which we hope to complete by the end of 2024.”

“As human beings we want meaning in our working lives. Achieving this through developing the largest airport from scratch and enabling millions of people to travel and connect with each other every year has been a thrilling ride so far. I’m no stranger to working 18-hour days but I love it. I thrive on the energy that ricochets throughout the team and now I want to enhance that spirit.”