Istanbul Airport becomes first to earn ACI reaccreditation

Istanbul Airport became the first to earn ACI reaccreditation for coronavirus health measures, the Airports Council International (ACI) World and ACI EUROPE announced Tuesday.

Istanbul Airport was the first to be accredited in August 2020 for 12 months, and now again is the first to be reaccredited for another year.

More than 600 airports of different sizes have signed up to the program since it was launched last July, which includes recommendations and guidelines for a healthy passenger experience.

All passenger areas and processes are assessed, including terminal access, check-in areas, security screening, boarding gates, lounges, retail, food and beverages, gate equipment such as boarding bridges, escalators and elevators, border control areas and facilities, baggage claim area and arrivals exit.

Processes include cleaning and disinfection, physical distancing, staff protection, physical layout, passenger communications and passenger facilities.

"Fostering confidence in air travel will be key to the sustained recovery of the industry and we congratulate the Istanbul Airport team for again demonstrating to passengers that their health and safety is an overriding priority," ACI World Director General Luis Felipe de Oliveira and ACI EUROPE Director General Olivier Jankovec said in a statement. "Recovery will be best achieved through a coordinated and globally harmonized approach which is aligned with global standards. Istanbul has set an example for the industry in pursuing this through the Airport Health Accreditation program which provides airports with assessment of their health measures against globally accepted standards."

Kadri Samsunlu, CEO of Istanbul Grand Airport (iGA) Airport Operation said iGA has come a long way in health measures by putting in the extra effort.

"For about 2 years, the whole world has been struggling with a health crisis that has deeply affected the humankind. With the acceleration of the vaccination campaign and the beginning of the summer season, we entered a process in which we are approaching the best scenario in terms of aviation," he said in a statement.