Guest of the Month

Emre Kurtlar

ATU İzmir is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. How would you describe this 20-year journey?

I see the 20-year journey of our İzmir Operation as a story of continuous development and adaptation to change. This journey began 20 years ago, and I have had the privilege of being part of it for the past 10. Today, our operation has evolved far beyond simply carrying out duty-free retail activities. The İzmir Operation has become a structure where passenger experience is at the heart of what we do, supported by a strong, close-knit team built on mutual trust.

Over the years, the aviation industry, passenger profiles and customer expectations have changed significantly, both in Türkiye and around the world. We have planned our investments accordingly, developing our teams and stores to respond to evolving industry dynamics and passenger expectations. Today, I believe our greatest strength is our team — one that embraces change and finds solutions under all circumstances.

Could you tell us about the current structure and business processes of the İzmir Operation?

We currently operate six stores at the International Terminal of Adnan Menderes Airport — three on the arrivals floor and three on the departures floor. Our aim is to provide our passengers with the best possible service by placing the ATU customer experience at the heart of our approach.

For the operation to succeed, I believe it is essential for our sales, sales support and administrative teams to work together in strong coordination and harmony.

Airport operations have their own unique dynamics, which makes the ability to make quick decisions, respond effectively to changing conditions and maintain strong communication across teams particularly important.

Which institutions and stakeholders do you work closely with in managing your operational processes?

Airport operations naturally require close collaboration among many different stakeholders. We therefore maintain continuous communication and coordination with a wide range of public institutions, including the Civil Administrative Authority, DHMI, the Customs Directorate and the Police Department, as well as private-sector stakeholders such as TAV Airport Management, security units and airlines.

Our shared goal is to ensure that airport operations continue safely and without disruption while maintaining the highest possible level of passenger experience.

How does İzmir’s passenger profile shape your approach to retail and customer experience?

İzmir’s passenger profile is predominantly made up of Turkish citizens from the Aegean Region who live in Europe, İzmir-based passengers, and European travelers visiting Türkiye, particularly during the summer season, for coastal holidays or cultural tourism.

Purchasing behavior varies depending on factors such as nationality, purpose of travel, season and the amount of time passengers spend at the airport. Rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach to retail, we therefore aim to understand our passengers and create experiences that respond to — and even anticipate — their needs.

Ultimately, our goal is not simply to sell products. We want to become a positive and memorable part of our passengers’ airport journey and give them a reason to choose ATU again on their next trip.

Which products and categories attract the most interest from passengers in İzmir?

Approximately 75% of passenger interest in İzmir is concentrated in LTC — tobacco & cigarettes, alcoholic beverages, and chocolate & confectionery — while around 20% is in PC — fragrance, beauty, skincare & cosmetics— with the remainder focused on local products and accessories.

As passenger profiles evolve over time, demand across product categories changes as well. In recent years, particularly in the perfumery and cosmetics category, we have observed a shift in consumer preferences from established, trusted brands towards distinctive fragrances that offer a sense of individuality and a unique story. As a result, interest in and demand for niche brands are growing, and we are adapting our commercial concepts in our stores accordingly.

During the summer high season, we are also seeing increasing interest among international tourists in locally produced items as they prepare to return home. Each year, we therefore work closely with our category teams to adapt our product mix and offer our customers the best possible alternatives.

Could you tell us about the recent innovations and investments in our İzmir stores?

We have recently made significant investments in our İzmir Operation, and this development continues.

On the arrivals floor, we opened our new Arrival-3 store, featuring a 100% walkthrough concept implemented for the first time at ATU, with all arriving passengers passing through the store. This increased the number of stores on the arrivals floor to three and expanded our total commercial area there to 843 m². The investment has also had a very positive impact on our revenue per passenger.

In addition, we expanded our existing gate store from 41 m² to 130 m², creating a new retail environment designed to meet passengers’ last-minute needs. Following the expansion, the store’s sales revenue increased by approximately 100%.

Looking ahead, we are also planning a comprehensive renovation of our main store on the departures floor in 2028. Across all these investments, our main objective is to offer passengers a modern, comfortable and enjoyable shopping experience with a wider range of products.

What have been the most significant changes in the development of the İzmir Operation over the past 20 years?

I believe one of the most significant changes has been the evolution of our approach to retail.

Twenty years ago, the focus was much more on traditional duty-free retailing. Today, passenger experience, store concepts, product variety, brand presentation, digitalization and personalized service have all become much more important.

Passenger expectations have evolved as well. Today’s passengers are no longer simply looking for products or comparing prices; they expect a faster, easier, higher-quality and more enjoyable shopping experience.

I believe the İzmir Operation’s ability to adapt to these changes and continuously renew itself is one of our most important achievements.

Could you share a particularly memorable or proud moment from your time with the İzmir Operation?

For me, rather than one particular moment, all the achievements we have shared as a team over the years are equally valuable.

Perhaps the most meaningful part has been witnessing the development and career journeys of the people I have worked with over the years. I believe one of the greatest rewards of leadership is having the opportunity to contribute to people’s development and support them along their career journey.

Could you tell us about the İzmir Operation’s key development areas and goals for the coming years?

Our primary goal is to take the İzmir Operation further in terms of both commercial performance and passenger experience.

By completing our new investments in 2028, we aim to use our retail spaces more effectively, closely follow technological developments and integrate them into our business processes and customer experience, expand our brand and product offering, better understand passenger needs, and improve operational efficiency.

As digitalization continues to advance, I believe artificial intelligence will play an increasingly important role in the future of retail, particularly in how we analyze and use data.

What would you like to say to our İzmir teams on the occasion of the 20th anniversary?

Twenty years… It may be easy to say in a single breath, but behind those two decades lies an extraordinary journey shaped by tremendous effort, dedication, countless achievements, change and continuous development. I am proud to have been part of 10 years of that journey.

Throughout these years, the İzmir Operation has built a remarkable success story — not only through its commercial and operational achievements, but also through the strong team culture we have created, our commitment to our work and the high standard of service we provide to our passengers.

No success is ever the work of one person alone.

Our success belongs to a strong team that trusts, believes in and supports one another; a team that works towards a shared goal, celebrates success together and has grown into a close-knit family.

Looking back on these 20 years fills us with great pride, but it also brings an important responsibility for the years ahead. As the world continues to evolve, I wholeheartedly believe that by adapting together to changing passenger expectations and the new needs of our customers, we will continue to write new success stories together.

I would like to sincerely thank all our colleagues who have contributed their time, effort and dedication to this success over the years, as well as our valued managers who have always supported us along the way.

Here’s to the next 20 years!