Kadri Samsunlu, CEO of iGA Istanbul Airport was the guest of Eurocontrol interview…

12th May update:

Kadri Samsunlu, the CEO of iGA Istanbul Airport, took part in the “Aviation Straight Talk Live” interview organized by Eurocontrol as a guest on the live broadcast. Eamonn Brennan, the Director-General of Eurocontrol, announced the current flight statistics for Turkey prior to Samsunlu’s speech and emphasized that Istanbul Airport had been the busiest airport in Europe in the first quarter of the year, prior to the full lockdown.

Evaluating the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the aviation industry, Samsunlu said, “What we are facing is unfortunately a global transportation crisis affecting mobility, trade and social life.  We must work very closely with our government and decision makers to overcome the crisis. To restore the connection and return to normal in the near future, we must open the borders and definitely make use of our influence for this purpose.”

Samsunlu said, “Our aim is to ensure that the air links to our country remain open. This is the most important condition for the markets being opened ensuring that activity returns.”  The CEO of iGA Istanbul Airport added, “Since each airline has its own needs and relations with each airline must be managed differently, we need to maintain close relations with other airlines, and attentively listen out what they say when they want to increase flight frequency and volume.”

Kadri Samsunlu made the following statement: “I think Hub model is still relative, because from the pricing perspective, global hubs will offer more attractive rates to carriers and these hubs will able to continue to travel smaller cities.”

Emphasizing the importance of contactless journey during the Covid-19 pandemic, Samsunlu continued his speech as follows: “We are working on biometric and contactless security checks to reduce waiting time. We are not entitled to collect the biometric data and we need the consent of our government for this. Currently, we are working with Ministry of Interiors to advance biometric solutions. Our plan and wish is to make this airport to be more self-serving. I believe that everyone will make this happen eventually in the next ten years.” and he ended his speech.