PRESS RELEASES
10 FEBRUARY 2010
AIA's 10th Airline Marketing Workshop - Athens International Airport awards airlines for their development in 2009

Athens International Airport S.A. (AIA) awarded the airlines that recorded the highest passenger development in 2009, during the Airline Marketing Workshop, organised by the airport company on an annual basis.

AIA’s 10th Airline Marketing Workshop – held today at the Municipality of Athens’ “TEXNOPOLIS” - was an anniversary event on the occasion of the 10 years since AIA established this fruitful get-together between the airport company and its airline partners. As every year, this year’s workshop proved to be a unique communication opportunity, attracting 200 airline representatives and including topics such as the 2009 market overview, the global economy and airports, Athens International Airport’s impact on the Greek economy, modern means of communication, airlines’ passenger reward programmes, etc.

In the course of the event, Athens International Airport presented its annual awards to the airlines that succeeded in recording the highest increases in passenger numbers during 2009, a very challenging year for the global industry. It is worth noting that, in the previous year, Athens International Airport was the only major European airport to record an increase in flights (+5.4%). Furthermore, with a passenger traffic decline of only 1.5%, it ranked in the 2nd place amongst major European airports.

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

A. Best Performing New Airline Award

  • Baboo was awarded for recording in 2009 the highest passenger traffic numbers, among all newcomers that launched scheduled operations in 2008.

Β. Best of the TOP-10 Airlines Award

  • Emirates was awarded as the overall fastest growing airline operating at AIA in 2009, among the 10 airlines that recorded the highest passenger traffic volumes.

C. Fastest Growing Airline in a Thin Route Award

  • Bulgaria Air received the award for achieving the highest percentage annual passenger growth in 2009.

D. Fastest Growing Airline / Seasonal Routes Award

  • Air Baltic received the award for achieving the highest percentage passenger growth in the summer period of 2009.
 

E. Fastest Growing Airline Award per geographical region (Highest percentage passenger growth, 2008 - 2009)

  • Aegean Airlines was awarded as the fastest growing airline for Western Europe.
  • LOT Polish Airlines was awarded as the fastest growing airline for Eastern Europe.
  • Emirates was awarded as the fastest growing airline for the Middle East.
  • Delta Airlines was awarded as the fastest growing airline for America.
  • Aegean Airlines was awarded as the fastest growing airline for the domestic region.
  • Aegean Airlines was awarded as the fastest growing airline for Africa.
 
  • Aegean Airlines was also awarded for presenting the highest passenger volumes increase at Athens International Airport in 2009.

Guest speakers in AIA’s 10th Airline Marketing Workshop were Messrs Titos Simitzis, Managing Director, ALTERNATIVE Research Solutions, Nigel Newman, Goldman Master Trainer – DE BONO THINKING SYSTEMS, and Petros Petrogonas, Strategic Planning Director, Leo Burnett.

Photographic material from AIA’s 10th Airline Marketing Workshop follows.