Athens Connectivity at AIA’s 15th Airline Marketing Workshop

“Connectivity” was the… “leading star” of the 15th Airline Marketing Workshop, organized by the Athens International Airport. This year’s Workshop was held on February 19th, having as key topics the review of 2014, a year marked by significant traffic recovery, the Athens network connectivity increase and the optimistic prospects for traffic development in 2015.

For the last 15 years, the annual Airline Marketing Workshop, an internationally acknowledged innovative initiative of the Athens International Airport, has evolved into a true institution for the Athens aviation market. Aiming at the exchange of views between the airport and its airline partners, the Workshop serves as an ideal platform for a substantial cooperation among aviation partners in the context of the sector’s many issues and challenges. As every year, the content of the Workshop reflects the Athens International Airport’s philosophy to offer airlines its continuous support and useful tools to assist in their developmental efforts, especially during the continuing adverse economic conditions.

A year of record-increases for the Athens aviation market

The key points of the 2014 review were extensively presented during this year’s Workshop: As regards network development, in the previous year, the increase in the Athens connectivity was significant, with 8 new airlines, 13 new international destinations and 168 new international weekly services in the summer. Passenger traffic recorded a +21.2% increase, surpassing 2013 levels by 2.7 million: Foreign travellers rose by 29%, while Greek passengers recorded a double-digit increase as well (+22.5%). Following its impressive growth in passenger traffic, flights and seats, the Athens airport climbed at the top position among European airports, in its category.

The agenda of this year’s Workshop included among others: An experts’ panel discussion on aviation trends and perspectives, moderated by Ralph Anker, Chief Analyst of the anna.aero. AIA’s IT&T Director, George Demetriadis, presented the airport’s innovations and developments, while the new trends in the Media world, were presented by George Frangakis, Managing Director, Forestview and Jeff Howe, Editor of The Wired Magazine, with a presentation on “Crowd Sourcing”. Finally, the Director General of ACI Europe, Olivier Jankovec addressed the audience with a presentation on global aviation connectivity. In his closing credits, AIA CEO, Yiannis Paraschis, after a year that produced great results, highlighting positive messages for the future, thanked the airlines for their excellent cooperation and commitment in the Athens market.

In addition, as every year, the Athens International Airport presented its annual awards to the airlines that demonstrated the fastest development and succeeded in recording the highest increases in passenger numbers during 2014, in their scheduled services. The 180 attendees also had the opportunity to enjoy the performance of… “Connie” (Connectivity), who led the entertainment part throughout the Workshop’s agenda, adding a special tone of music and dance during this year’s gathering!

 

The airline awards, as per respective category, were the following:

  

1. A. Best of the TOP-10 Airlines Award

• Emirates was awarded as the overall fastest growing airline operating at AIA in 2014, among the 10 airlines that recorded the highest passenger traffic volumes, while Aegean Airlines and easyJet were highly commended.

 

1. B. Fastest Growing Airline - Thin Route Award

• Bulgaria Air received the award for achieving the highest percentage annual passenger growth in 2014, while Air Moldova was highly commended.

1. C. Fastest Growing Airline - Seasonal Routes Award

• Air Baltic received the award for achieving the highest percentage passenger growth in the summer period of 2014, while Air Canada and US Airways were highly commended.

1. Highest Ranking European Destination

 

• British Airways received the award for the highest contribution in making London the top European destination out of Athens.

1. Highest Ranking non-European Destination

 

• Emirates received the award for the highest contribution in making Dubai the top non-European destination out of Athens.

 

1. F. Fastest Growing Airline Award per geographical region (Highest percentage passenger growth, 2013 - 2014)

• Aegean Airlines was awarded as the fastest growing airline in the domestic sector.

• com was awarded as the fastest growing airline for Western Europe, while Vueling and Pegasus Airlines were highly commended.

• Air Serbia was awarded as the fastest growing airline for Eastern Europe, while Aegean Airlines and Aeroflot were highly commended.

• Aegean Airlines was awarded as the fastest growing airline for the Middle East. In the same category, Etihad Airways and El Al Israel Airlines also received the highly commended distinction.

• Egypt Air was awarded as the fastest growing airline for the Africa region.

 

1. Best New Entrant Performance

•   Ukraine International Airlines was awarded for recording in 2014 the highest passenger traffic numbers, among all newcomers that launched scheduled operations in 2013.

• Aegean Airlines was awarded for presenting the highest passenger volumes increase at Athens International Airport in 2014. Transavia.com was also highly commended in this category.

 

Special Awards:

•   Aegean Airlines was awarded as the favourite airline for 2014 among the European passengers using the Athens airport (source: AIA official annual survey).

•  Emirates was awarded as the favourite airline for 2014 among the non-European passengers using the Athens airport (source: AIA official annual survey).

 

 On the occasion of AIA’s 15th Airline Marketing Workshop, Ioanna Papadopoulou, Director, Communications & Marketing, pointed: “It was our great pleasure to welcome for one more year our airline partners in our Airline Marketing Workshop; this annual meeting is by now an institution in the aviation market, reflecting the essence of our philosophy as we move ahead on a mutually beneficial common course.

Once more, we would like to thank our airline partners and reconfirm our commitment to keep supporting them in the same spirit of substantial collaboration.”