Airports trade body, ACI Europe, has engaged with Turkey’s government to address the challenges faced by the country in sustainably developing air connectivity and boosting the economy.
Total air connectivity has outperformed the European average in Turkey, achieving record levels – +24 per cent when compared to pre-pandemic levels (2019). The country’s main air transport hub, iGA Istanbul Airport currently ranks number one in Europe for direct air connectivity, up from being in fifth position in 2019.
According to Olivier Jankovec, ACI Europe’s Director General, the development of the country’s air transport sector is integral to the Turkish economy, considering that every +10 per cent in crease in air connectivity yields +0.5 per cent gain in GDP per capita along with a +1.6 per cent increase in jobs. In effect, the Turkish airports and the connectivity they enable contribute €47.2 biliion to the coutnry’s GDP and support close to 500,000 jobs.
However, Jankovec also warned that one of the primary challenges for the country’s airports now is the need to focus on diversifying their portfolios to maximise their potential in terms of route development and connectivity. This, he pointed out, requires a more liberal approach to traffic rights for airlines, which regulate the airports they can access and therefore how they plan their networks. “In this context, it would be helpful if the Turkish government could reconsider its position on this matter, moving away from protectionist policies and instead adopting open skies principles. Failing to do so will only hinder wider economic benefits, to the disadvantage of the Turkish people,” he said.
He also highlighted the need for Turkey to ensure a more dynamic and market-related regulation of airport charges, the better integration between Air Traffic Management and ground operations at airports. With Turkish airports fully committed to net zero by 2050, he also underlined the urgency of enacting a supportive policy and regulatory framework for the supply and uptake of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF).
