TOP 10 AIRPORTS: ISTANBUL 10
IGA talks up ‘flawless passenger experience’ at new Istanbul International Airport
Last year, Turkish operator İGA Havalimani İsletmesi and its commercial partners celebrated the commencement of full operations at the new Istanbul Airport which had been several years in the making. Andrew Pentol speaks exclusively to Kadri Samsunlu, CEO, İGA.
2019. Speaking to this publication at
the official opening of the ATÜ Duty Free-operated Luxury Square concept in February, Ali Şenher, CEO, Unifree Duty Free said the company remained confident of reaching its €860m sales target for 2020. Kadri Samsunlu, CEO, İGA tells
Above: Currently, there is a total of 104 sub-brand stores and 33 duty free shops.
T
he opening of the ATÜ Duty Free-operated Luxury Square at the new Istanbul Airport
earlier this year was among the final key components of the whopping 53,000sq m of retail space, which is operated by Unifree Duty Free. Multiple luxury boutiques, duty
free shops and other retail concepts and services have opened in arrivals and departures at the $11.7 billion airport, located 35km north of Istanbul. A 36,000sq m central processor
area in departures comprises 18,000sq m of space dedicated to duty free and Turkish bazaars. A further 11,000sq m of duty free space is located in arrivals, with pier and transfer shops comprising an additional 7,000sq m. Unifree Dutyfree, in which Gebr.
“Spaces have been highly sought after and we were able to attract multiple internationally renowned brands to open unique stores at Istanbul Airport and completely fill the enormous retail space.”
Kadri Samsunlu, CEO, İGA
44 TRBUSINESS
Heinemann is a majority shareholder, won the 25-year contract to operate all airside retail space in 2015. Managed by Turkish operator
İGA Havalimani İsletmesi (İGA), the airport will serve up to 350 destinations and 200 million passengers once all phases are complete.
25-year contract The joint venture consortium comprising Turkish companies, İGA won the 25-year build-operate- transfer contract to construct and manage the airport in 2013. Phase one opened on 29 October
2018, coinciding with the 95th anniversary of the founding of the Turkish Republic. Commercial flights commenced
two days later (31 October 2018), before phase one became fully operational on 6 April 2019, as the airport took over air traffic from the now- closed Atatürk Airport between 5 April and 6 April. All duty free shops at the new
mega-hub airport were trading as of noon local time on Saturday 6 April 2019. TRBusiness is reliably informed
that DF&TR sales at Istanbul Airport amounted to $346 million between April and September 2019 and $560m between April and December
TRBusiness: “We are very pleased with the retail development at Istanbul Airport, which has the biggest duty free space in the world. Spaces have been highly sought after and we were able to attract multiple internationally-renowned brands to open unique stores and completely fill the enormous retail space.” In the future, İGA will place a
stronger focus on e-commerce. “Digital sales are growing strongly and our previous experience with online pre-order and pick-up services has been very positive.” Regarding the airport’s physical
retail operations, İGA offered retailers spacious areas which correspond to the airport’s impressive architecture and attract attention. “The shopping environment was designed to be user-friendly and is assisted by technological amenities to create a flawless passenger experience and ensure passengers feel relaxed while glancing through the shops. “Naturally, this careful design
further increased retailers’ interest in Istanbul Airport. Many [operators] have opened flagship stores here, showcasing their newest goods.” Currently, there is a total of 104
sub-brand stores and 33 duty free shops, across an estimated area of 45.951sq m. Total commercial area (excluding reserved areas) amounts to 47.351sq m. İGA has taken vital precautions
during the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. It has also complied with all criteria required for certification
AUGUST 2020
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