ATU secures future at Atatürk

Tina Milton

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The announcement that TAV has won the tender to manage Istanbul Atatürk airport will help guarantee the retailer's future at the location

Akfen-Tepe-Unifree (ATÜ), a partnership between Gebr Heinemann-controlled Unifree and Tepe-Akfen-Ventures (TAV), has confirmed that TAV's victory in the tender to operate the international and domestic terminal of Istanbul Atatürk airport for 15 and-a-half years (DFNI June 15) has secured its duty-free operations at Atatürk for the same period. The contract starts in July.

ATÜ general manager Kadir Ishakoglu told RavenFox.com: "We are very happy about the win, as it has secured our long-term position at the airport."

The company operates about 25 stores at Atatürk, the biggest of which is a main store covering 2,000sq m (21,520sq ft). Its plans for expansion are as yet undecided.

Ishakoglu said the company was satisfied with duty-free sales growth at the airport during the first half of 2005, and added that growth had been driven by rising numbers of tourists—especially from CIS countries—and conference visitors. Duty-free sales increased by 20% in 2004 compared with 2003.

Meanwhile, from October 2006 ATÜ will operate 2,000sq m of duty-free space at Ankara Esenboga airport as part of a build-operate-transfer contract secured by TAV. Its contract will run for 16 and half years.