Turkey and iGA Istanbul Airport were chosen as the official hosts of Routes World in 2023, in collaboration with Turkish Airlines, the General Directorate of Promotion of the Republic of Turkey, and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The protocol was signed today (Tuesday) by all the parties during the ceremony held at İstanbul Airport.
Routes World, one of the most prestigious organizations in the world aviation sector, is expected to draw around 3,000 global aviation sector executives to Istanbul.
Considered the most renowned event in global aviation, Routes World events serve as a meeting place for airlines, airports, and destinations to discuss and plan the future. And as such, the world’s premier airports and destinations vie to host Routes World events since the first one was held in 1995.
Routes World 2023, the 28th summit, will be a major event in the history of Turkish aviation, as it will help promote Turkey and İstanbul on a global scale and is expected to play a vital part in the aviation industry’s recovery process. Furthermore, as the host, Istanbul will have the opportunity to become a direct destination, on top of being a global hub, and attract low-cost airline companies.
Speaking at today’s signing ceremony, Turkey Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA) General Manager Yalçın Lokmanhekim said Routes World is one of the largest organizations in the world to be hosted by iGA İstanbul Airport. “It is an important event for Istanbul; therefore, the positive contribution it will have on the promotion of Turkey will undoubtedly be enormous.”
Lokmanhekim further emphasized that TGA is making a great effort to promote Turkey abroad: “Today, Turkey is carrying out intensive promotional activities in 140 countries of the world through TGA. In 2021, TGA also played host to 3,770 people in Turkey, including foreign journalists, influencers, opinion leaders, and travel agencies. Close to 1.1 billion accesses were obtained on social media due to the online and offline shares following this hospitality. We promote our country, destinations, and tourism products in ten different languages through our digital platform goturkiye.”
Commenting on the organization, Turkish Airlines General Manager (CEO) Bilal Ekşi added: “As Turkish Airlines, the proud flag carrier of Turkey for nearly 90 years, we will host the Routes World 2023 event, set to take place in time for the centennial of our Republic. In line with our vision of building bridges between continents, cultures, and people, we continue to strengthen our leading position in global air transport with our ever-growing route network. The Routes World 2023 event, which will add value to our home base Istanbul’s unique geographical location and significant potential in world tourism, will be an important host for us.”
iGA Istanbul Airport CEO Kadri Samsunlu stated that being chosen as the host is a source of pride for both the airport and Turkish aviation. “We are thrilled to host the Routes World 2023 event, worthy of the 100th anniversary of the foundation of our Republic. As iGA Istanbul Airport, we are strengthening our position as a playmaker in the aviation sector even more with every passing day. We have accomplished this in a short period of time, and our pioneering efforts are being recognized by the sector’s most prestigious organizations.
“In the second half of 2023, we will reach the same number of passengers as in 2019, and our next target is to reach 100 million passengers a year by 2026 at the latest. Routes World is an event that will increase this appreciation and carry iGA even higher in its journey to become a global brand. With Routes World, which brings together thousands of aviation representatives from all over the world every year and shares the views of aviation authorities, nearly 3,000 global senior aviation industry executives will visit our city in 2023. We look forward to strengthening iGA Istanbul Airport’s position as a worldwide hub and demonstrating our country’s enormous potential with this important meeting, which will highlight İstanbul’s history, culture, hidden gems, and potential to be a focal point for international tourists.”
Routes CEO Steven Small added that airline transportation would play a critical role in the recovery of the global economy after the pandemic, saying that “Increased airline connections will make profound economic contributions to destinations by promoting trade, tourism, investment, and labor supply and market efficiency.
“With its current strategy to reach 100 million passengers by 2026, iGA Istanbul Airport shows that it is ready to turn the capacity brought by moving to a new airport into an advantage. By hosting the Routes World 2023 organization, it will have the opportunity to showcase the remarkable development opportunities it can provide to foreign airline companies and will strengthen the position of Turkish Airlines.”
