PRESS RELEASES
24 FEBRUARY 2014
AIA’s 14th Airline Marketing Workshop

Athens International Airport awards airlines for their development in 2013

Athens International Airport S.A. awarded, during the Airline Marketing Workshop organised by the airport company on an annual basis, the airlines that recorded the highest passenger development in 2013.

AIA’s 14th Airline Marketing Workshop was held on February 20th, this year presenting topics such as the market overview of the “stabilisation year” 2013 as well as the optimistic forecasts for traffic development in 2014, the incentives’ policy for the sustainability and enhancement of the overall Athens traffic, AIA’s actions aiming at boosting the city’s attractiveness and potential as a destination and the airport’s presence in the social media. Furthermore, workshop guest speakers presented the trends and future challenges for the global aviation industry, the potential for further development and extension of the tourist period for Athens, the destination marketing strategy in the cases of Turkey and Croatia, and, lastly, the international social media experience in terms of benefits for airports and airlines.

Finally, as every year, 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, in their scheduled services, during 2013.

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

A.  Best of the TOP-10 Airlines Award

  • Turkish Airlines was awarded as the overall fastest growing airline operating at AIA in 2013, among the 10 airlines that recorded the highest passenger traffic volumes, while Alitalia and Aegean Airlines were highly commended.


B.    Fastest Growing Airline in a Thin Route Award

  • Royal Jordanian received the award for achieving the highest percentage annual passenger growth in 2013, while Pegasus Airlines was highly commended.


C.    Fastest Growing Airline / Seasonal Routes Award

  • Norwegian received the award for achieving the highest percentage passenger growth in the summer period of 2013, while US Airways and Air Transat were highly commended.

 

D.   Highest Ranking European Destination

 

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


E.   Highest Ranking non-European Destination

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


F. Fastest Growing Airline Award per geographical region (Highest percentage passenger growth, 2012 - 2013)

  • Aegean Airlines was awarded as the fastest growing airline in the domestic sector.
  • Turkish Airlines was awarded as the fastest growing airline for Western Europe, while SAS Scandinavian Airlines and Alitalia were highly commended.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

  • Air China was awarded as the fastest growing airline for the Asia region.
  • Aegean Airlines was awarded for presenting the highest passenger volumes increase at Athens International Airport in 2013.  Turkish Airlines and El Al - Israel Airlines were also highly commended.


Special Awards:

  • Aegean Airlines was awarded as the favourite airline for 2013 among the European passengers using the Athens airport (source: AIA official annual survey).
  • Emirates was awarded as the favourite airline for 2013 among the non-European passengers using the Athens airport (source: AIA official annual survey).


This year’s guest speakers were:

•    Mr Christopher Kaparounakis, Vice President of GNTO
•    Mr Iosif Parsalis, General Manager, Marketing Greece
•    Dr Rafael Echevarne, Director Economics and Program Development, ACI World
•    Mr Luis Fonseca de Almeida, Regional Director of the ICAO EURNAT (European & North Atlantic Office)
•    Mr Tim-Jasper Schaaf, Director Marketing and Sales, IATA
•    Mrs Asli Gundogdu Aksungur, Tourism and Cultural Attaché, Turkish Tourist Board
•    Mr Igor Borojević, Market Planning, Analysis and Strategy Department Manager, Croatian National Tourist Board
•    Mr David McMullen, Vice President, SimpliFlying  
•    Mr Stavros Kontaktsis, VP / Strategy Director, avakon+
•    Journalist Mr Haris Ntigrintakis was Panel Moderator

 


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