ISTANBUL, July 2003 -- In Travel-Quality.com’s prestigious Airport of the Year 2003 poll, Istanbul Atatürk Airport won the 2nd prize, just behind Amsterdam Schiphol Airport and ahead of Dubai International Airport. Of circa 21,000 votes, some 5,500 were for Istanbul’s new international terminal.

The Airport is 476 Meters long, has five check-in islands with 160 service desks with an overall capacity of serving up to (maximum) 38,000 passengers per day. There are 64 passport control counters, shops, a food court with 28 national and international food and beverage units, a post office, internet access points, car rental possibilities, a multistorey car park, and lots of light, bright and open spaces. These are all elements that make this airport enjoyable, whether you’re in the departure terminal, in the tax-free shopping area, at the gate or in the business lounges.

The airport provides Turkish Airlines and British Airways CIP lounges, the HBSC lounge and Prime Class - a Private Airport concept: you will be awaited by a hostess and escorted to your departure gate or the curbside.

When you arrive at an airport, it is the first impression you get of a country. When you leave an airport, it is your last impression of a country. And when you’re in transit, the airport is the only impression you get of a country, said Mr. Sener, CEO of TAV, moments before he was presented TravelQuality’s award. It needs no explanation that this impression has to be a good one.

One of the ways to create the comfortable ‘home’ feeling travelers need, is the inclusion of local elements inside the terminal. Here we can think of a bazaar-like environment, or a place to have your shoes polished - all in Turkish style of course.

At this point, the airport handles an average of 9 million passengers per year, whilst the airport’s capacity is 14.5 million. With a new 30% expansion, this number will be up to 20 million. We might conclude that Turkey’s #1 airport is ready for the future. Apart from two new check-in islands, in the expansion we will also find even more passport control counters, 5 new landing ports, an extensive shopping area, many new bars and restaurants, an 85-room hotel inside the terminal, with 53 airside rooms and 32 landside rooms.

Atatürk International Airport is large, but most of all stylish, functional and very bright and open and safe. Again, Istanbul proves capable of taking advantage of its strategical position. A rightful candidate for TravelQuality’s new election of "Airport of the Year 2004" !