Türkiye’s mega transportation hub, Istanbul Airport, was deemed worthy of awards in five categories, including “World’s Best Airport,” by the U.S.-based travel magazine Global Traveler (GT) readers.
The airport has also been chosen as “Europe’s Best Airport,” further cementing its position as a leader in global aviation, according to a statement on Monday.
Alongside this, it received awards for being the “Airport with the Best Food and Beverage Area,” the “Best Airport Shopping Experience” and the “Airport Offering the Best Duty-Free Shopping Experience in Europe.”
Some 500,000 monthly readers of the magazine voted on the travel-related services they have received, destinations and hotels they have visited, airlines they have traveled with, and cruise trips based on their real experiences, said the statement.
According to research, the average reader takes 18 domestic flights a year, with 96% regularly traveling abroad and more than 80% staying in four- and five-star hotels for over 80 days a year.
“We are aware that being recognized by Global Traveler’s distinguished readership of elite travelers in not just one but five categories is a highly regarded achievement in our industry and a testament to the dedication, hard work and excellence displayed by every member of our airport,” said Istanbul Airport Communications Director Gökhan Şengül.
Şengül noted that the airport has served more than 200 million passengers in the five years after it was put into service and highlighted their main priority is to make the “travel experience easier, more enjoyable and beyond expectations.”
“Besides standard airport services such as ‘accessible,’ ‘child and family-friendly,’ ‘age-friendly,’ ‘pet-friendly,’ we distinguish ourselves with our mobility-oriented, innovative technological services. I extend my deepest gratitude to the Global Traveler team and all its readers for acknowledging our contributions to the aviation industry,” he said.
This year, at the 11th Leisure Lifestyle Awards hosted by Global Traveler, iGA Istanbul Airport was voted the “Best Transfer Airport” for the second time, while at the sixth “Wherever Awards,” it was once again named the “Best Family-Friendly International Airport.”
