The new Istanbul Airport has unveiled the second phase of its duty free offer as it announces it will become fully operational in March.
New photos, released following the opening ceremony yesterday, offer a look at the enormous travel retail and duty free offering at the airport, which will have the capacity to handle 200 million passengers a year when it is fully operational.
The airport opened in October, but the Turkish State Airports Administration announced today that the new facility will complete its takeover of operations from Atatürk Airport on 3 March.
Yesterday, Unifree Duty Free opened the second phase of its duty free operations at the site, with five new stores inaugurated and run by the company in partnership with Gebr Heinemann.
The new stores cover 8,000sqm and bring together more than 1,000 domestic and international brands. Immediately after the passport control area travellers can experience high-end brands such as Emporio Armani, Muis Vuitton, Christian Dio and Bulgari. They line up alongside Turkish names including D&R, Vakko, Atasay and Tamer Tanac.
A 3,000sqm bazaar carrying more than 100 domestic and national producers has also been unveiled.
State Airports Administration General Director Funda Ocak at the opening of the new stores
Unifree CEO Ali Şenher said: “The size of the area, many significant domestic and international brands as well as the concepts we developed amounted to a hit project in the world and we established a duty free zone worthy of our pride; Istanbul Airport. In addition to the rich variety of products, quality service is one of our main values. Our sincere expert sales team personalised for the needs of the passengers will serve 24/7 to provide unforgettable memories to the passengers coming from across the world.”
IAG Operations, which runs the airport, promised the latest technology for visitors and the new duty free offer includes pre-order, tablets and virtual and augmented reality which will be introduced in stores.
The airport, which is aiming to surpass Dubai International Airport as the busiest in the world, currently has capacity to handle 90 million passengers per year and offers 53,000sqm of retail space. When the second phase of construction is completed in 2028 the airport’s capacity will leap to 200 million PAX.
Kadri Sumsunlu, CEO of IGA Airport Operations, called duty free the “soul” of Istanbul Airport.
Speaking to DFNI ahead of the opening he said: “In the retail area it’s our priority to provide passenger comfort while creating a comfortable and convenient shopping experience for passengers.”
At yesterday’s opening, Sumsunlu added: “We aim to provide an extraordinary and highly enjoyable travel experience to the passengers of Istanbul Airport. It is our pleasure to realise the first step of this process in cooperation with Unifree. We will not only provide a service at Istanbul Airport, but also promote our country and, most importantly, promote Istanbul. We are happy to gather strong domestic and international brands, and people across the world in our commercial space.”