We have brought together this unique combination of strengths that has set an example for the world

For companies and people to become household names, it is necessary that they become known for the same high standard of quality regardless of the environment in which they operate. The TAV name now brings to mind a unique kind of “airport.” This shows us the value that TAV has created in the global market.

Beginning with this issue of NewsPORT, we will be reporting on the activities of TAV Construction. The synergy created by TAV Construction and TAV Airports at the Istanbul Atatürk International Airport has now transcended our borders. At TAV, we have employed an integration of knowledge capital that is unequalled world-wide, as well as a unique brand of experience. Our success is nurtured by the unparalleled energy of TAV Construction and of TAV Airports, and we continue to reap impressive results through this union of forces at our disposal.

Fortune 500 has included TAV Construction, as well as TAV Airports associate companies TAV Istanbul, ATÜ and BTA Catering, among its top 500 companies. TAV Airports Holding has also been included among Turkey’s top 50 companies. TAV Construction’s and TAV Airports’ total turnover has exceeded US$1.5 billion; just ten years ago we would have found it difficult to imagine that we would have grown this much. We have achieved significant momentum through the addition of new projects to the organic growth in our current activities. However, we have been mindful never to exceed optimum sustainable growth rates for our company. This is a very important issue, because sustainable growth rates are established in accordance with a company’s financial capacities, human resource skills and administrative expertise. We have never aimed for a level of growth that we would not be able to meet through our financial and operational strength. This approach constitutes one of the most significant reasons why we are able to survive the global economic crisis relatively unscathed.

One of the most important milestones of the TAV Group is being realised through the unique union of forces between TAV Construction and TAV Airports. On the opposite side of the Mediterranean, the TAV Tunisia family is erecting step by step the most prestigious project ever in the country, thereby creating a lasting monument of growth and success that will be a source of pride for all of us. TAV surpassed many important competitors in the Tunisia project and achieved success through its intellectual capital and skills of implementation. The success we garnered in the bidding process we have also maintained in the area of project financing. The story of TAV’s rise, widely acknowledged in international circles, has set an example in the aviation as well as the finance sectors .

The collaboration we are undertaking with Airports Council International (ACI), one of the most prestigious international authorities in the aviation sector, is one among the most significant indicators of the abovementioned acknowledgement we have received within the sector. Last month it was announced that we have been elected to the Board of Management of ACI Europe. We believe that our membership on the Board of Management of ACI Europe will contribute to the consolidation of our role in the sector, that it will provide momentum for our global enterprises, and that it will result in important advantages for the millions of passengers who make use of our airports every year.

The global success and prestige that we have achieved at the TAV Group has also brought a number of awards. The fact that the Ankara Esenboğa Airport, built and operated by TAV Airports Holding, has been elected “Best Airport” by ACI Europe is a great source of pride for us. We owe this award to the intellectual capital of TAV Construction and TAV Airports; that is to say, to the TAV Group Family. We have set forth on this journey together in order to realize our dreams; not only have we realized our dreams but we have also continued to dream new ones.

On this path, which takes as its inspiration the immortal words of Martin Luther King, “I have a dream,” I would like to extend my greetings to everyone in the TAV Family who, with their intelligence and hard work, has contributed to the creation of this brand; from Tunisia to Georgia, from Libya to Oman and from Riga to Qatar.

Yours sincerely,

M. Sani Şener
TAV Group, CEO