Incheon and Copenhagen Airports to be Istanbul New Airport's Operational Consultants

IGA will enter into an advisory service agreement with Incheon International Airport Corporation and Copenhagen Airports, two of the world’s leading airports, as consultants for the “Istanbul New Airport Project”.  

The consulting project will span the next five years and the project includes strategy and business plan development, human resource and organizational development, operational readiness through trial operations, and consultancy on the operation of the new airport in the first three years after its opening in 2017.

The two award-winning airports in combination will contribute their experience, skills and personnel to the benefit of IGA and the success of Istanbul New Airport.  In 2014, Incheon and Copenhagen airports handled a combined 71.1 million passengers, Incheon with 45.5 million and Copenhagen with 25.6 million. 

Commenting on the new co-operation, Mr. Mertol Genc, CEO of İGA Havalimanı İşletmesi A.Ş. (IGA) said: "We are pleased to reach an agreement with the world's foremost airport operators at this stage of development. For us, creating scale with utmost traveller comfort is a priority. Incheon and Copenhagen provide us expertise in attaining our scale, comfort, innovation, efficiency and profitability objectives which will enhance the passenger experience. Besides these, their presence, as strong international operators, provides further proof that IGA is already up and running in the eyes of the global aviation business. This cooperation is very significant for us and for the Turkish Aviation Industry since we aim to build a global hub connecting all continents and make our country and Istanbul the center in the global aviation industry."

Four phases to build the airport operations

The Operations Consultancy will run in four phases with the first phase commencing immediately.

The first phase services will address strategic operational and commercial issues dealing with the airport development process.  A team of experts drawn from both Copenhagen and Incheon organizations will work side-by-side with IGA operational departments to develop the concept of operations and ensure that international best practices are incorporated into the airport design.  At the same time their international airport commercial knowledge and experience will focus on IGA’s business plan objectives.

The second phase services will address the IGA organizational strategy in building and training a management organizational workforce to take control of the infrastructure as it is developed, and then operate this massive airport for 25 years through to 150 million passenger capacity and beyond. 

The third phase services will commence 15 to 18 months prior to airport commissioning.  Commonly referred to as Operations Readiness and Transfer (ORAT), this phase is critical to the successful opening of Istanbul New Airport.  On its opening date the airport will accept the transfer of operations from Istanbul Ataturk Airport combined with additional new air services previously unavailable because of capacity issues.

Operationally-ready airport facilities, properly tested and commissioned to ensure a seamless start to operations, will welcome more than 80 million passengers in its first year of operations.  Incheon has accomplished a similar feat in 2001 with the transfer of operations to the greenfield Incheon International Airport, and with two major expansion projects since that time.  The commissioning of the original airport and the subsequent expansion has been accomplished with no major issues setting them apart from other airports where there have been significant teething problems.

The fourth phase covers the period of the first three years of operations where in addition to IGA’s obligations under the Concession Agreement signed with General Directorate of State Airports Authority (DHMI), the Consultants will provide full-time senior experts on site covering the areas of airside, terminal and landside operations as well airline marketing and hub strategy.  The consultancy effort will be integrated into the IGA operational staff of more than 5,000 people ensuring a full transfer of airport operational know-how for the full 25 years of the concession agreement.

Mr. Park Wan Su, CEO of Incheon International Airport Corporation, stated that, “Istanbul New Airport is a very important and impressive project to Incheon Airport as well in the scale and value of the airport. We, Incheon Airport, are honoured to have this consultancy opportunity for the worldwide grand airport, Istanbul New Airport. As Incheon Airport we shall truly and sincerely do our best in close cooperation with Copenhagen Airport to contribute to the successful construction and operation of this hub. Incheon Airport’s experience of construction and operation for years will create another remarkable history of Istanbul New Airport in Turkey. Also, this project will be the base for the further development of overseas business of Incheon Airport.”

“Copenhagen Airport has been voted ‘Europe’s most efficient airport’ by the international Air Transport Research Society (ATRS) nine times in the last 11 years and we have a long history of developing international airports in Denmark, China, Mexico and Great Britain. When we team up with Incheon Airport we hope that our combined knowledge will help Istanbul in building and operating an international competitive airport,” said Thomas Woldbye, CEO Copenhagen Airports.

About İstanbul New Airport

İGA Havalimanı İşletmesi A.Ş was founded on 7th of October 2013 to make the investment for and then to operate the Istanbul New Airport for a period of 25 years. The tender for the New Airport, that will be built 35 km away from the city center in the North of Istanbul, was initiated by the General Directorate of State Airports Authority (DHMI) in 2013. The construction will be completed in four phases. The first phase, which includes one terminal with 90 million annual passenger capacity and three runways, will be delivered by the end of 2017. When all the phases are complete, the New Airport will have an annual passenger capacity of 150 million during the concession term; will be hosting more than 150 airlines companies flying to more than 350 destinations.

About Incheon International Airport Corporation (IIAC)

Incheon International Airport is the largest airport in South Korea, the primary airport serving the Seoul Capital Area, and one of the largest and busiest airports in the world. Incheon International Airport handled 45.5 million passengers in 2014. Among them, 7.3 million passengers are transfer passengers. The CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) of passenger traffic since opening in 2001 is 9.17%. Incheon Airport maintains its own position as ‘Hub Airport’ with 90 airlines, 55 countries, 181 cities, which consist of 38 cities in China, 26 cities in Japan, 22 cities in South Eastern Asia. IIAC is wholly-owned by the Republic of Korea with a reputation for customer satisfaction, technical excellence and innovation. Incheon has been top-ranked by Airports Council International as the World’s Best Airport for nine consecutive years

About Copenhagen Airports International

Copenhagen Airport is owned privately by pension plans, infrastructure funds and private equity (60.8%), and by the Danish State (39.2%) with a strong mandate to maximize shareholder value.  With direct flights to 163 destinations and 25.6 million passengers in 2014, Copenhagen Airport (CPH) is among the major airports in Europe and the preferred hub of Northern Europe.  CPH serves as the hub for Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) and the airport has a dedicated strategy to expand the hub function for both SAS and other airlines. Copenhagen International Airport has been ranked Europe’s most efficient airport 9 times in the last 11 years by Air Transport Research Society (ATRS).