The CEO of iGA Istanbul Airport Becomes one of 28 People who Run The Global Aviation Sector

Kadri Samsunlu, the CEO of iGA Istanbul Airport, has been elected as a member of the Board of Directors for ACI World, an umbrella organization for the sub-councils representing five continents in the world aviation sector. iGA Istanbul Airport has received two awards from ACI Europe for its achievements in HR policies and sustainability projects.

At the ACI Europe General Assembly, organised between 22 and 24 June in Rome, Italy, it was announced that Kadri Samsunlu, CEO of iGA Istanbul Airport, had been elected as an Executive Board Member for ACI World. Airports Council International (ACI World) has a total of 717 members operating in 185 countries and regions, including 1,950 airports.

ACI World, which carries out policy-making, training, and research and development activities for the development of the industry and the progress of aviation, is one of the most important global umbrella organisations in the world aviation sector. The executive board members, elected from among the 717 members, represent their countries on the ACI World Board of Directors and are responsible for the execution of the decisions made regarding the aviation industry.

CEO of iGA, Kadri Samsunlu, joins the ACI World Board of Directors

Kadri Samsunlu, CEO of the iGA Istanbul Airport, expressed that he was proud to represent the Turkish aviation industry at ACI World, one of the most important organisations of the aviation industry in the world, and he said, “ACI World has entrusted us with a very important duty. This duty brings with it a tremendous responsibility. Last year, I was elected to the Board of Directors of ACI Europe. This year, I have learned that I will serve on the Board of Directors of ACI World. During his tenure as a member of the Board of Directors of ACI World, strengthening the relations between ACI and the Turkish aviation sector at each level and striving to create the highest value for all stakeholders through sustainable growth will be among our priority targets.”

Referring to the election of Samsunlu to the ACI World board of directors, ACI World General Director, Luis Felipe de Oliveira, said, “We are pleased that Mr. Kadri Samsunlu, CEO of İGA Istanbul Airport, has joined the ACI World Board of Directors, which consists of 28 representatives elected by regional ACI councils. As the CEO of a leading global hub, Mr. Samsunlu’s rich experiences and insights will undoubtedly benefit both our members and the global airport industry. We look forward to the start of his term on the ACI World Board of Directors.”

A double award came from ACI Europe for iGA’s HR policies and sustainability efforts.

iGA Istanbul Airport, which has been granted consecutive awards by reputable institutions as one of the best airports in the world, has also received the “Eco-Innovation Award” and the “Human Resources Excellence Award” within the scope of the 18th ACI Europe Awards of the Airports Council International, held this year. In addition, at the 18th ACI Europe Awards, Rome Fiumicino Airport was selected as the “Best Airport in Europe” in the category of airports with a capacity of more than 40 million passengers, while iGA Istanbul Airport was declared as “Highly Commended” in the same category. Both awards were presented to Kadri Samsunlu, the CEO of iGA Istanbul Airport, who attended the award ceremony in Rome, the capital of Italy.

iGA Istanbul Airport received a new “Carbon Emission Certificate,” increased to the 3rd Level, within the scope of the Airport Carbon Accreditation issued by the Airports Council International (ACI Europe) in June. At the ceremony held at the ACI Europe Annual Congress & General Assembly in Rome, the certificate was given to iGA Istanbul Airport Planning Deputy General Manager, İsmail Hakkı Polat.

Thus, iGA Istanbul Airport was presented with awards by a total of five international organisations in June. US-based travel magazine, Global Traveler, presented iGA Istanbul Airport with the “Best Connecting Airport” award at the 2022 Leisure Lifestyle Awards, and the “Most Family-Friendly International Airport” at the 2022 Wherever Awards; iGA Istanbul Airport also received the Airline Passenger Experience Association’s (APEX) “Extraordinary Success” Award, EMEA Finance’s “Best Syndicated Loan in the EMEA Region” and the “Deal of the Year” awards. From the evaluation by Skytrax, a UK-based aviation rating agency, iGA was awarded the “5-Star Airport” award that it had also won in 2020, iGA also received the “Most Family-Friendly Airport,” the “Airport Providing the Best Shopping Experience in the World,” and the “Best Airport in Southern Europe” awards. iGA Istanbul Airport also made great progress in the “World’s Best Airports” list, ranking 8th.