One of the most important milestones of the TAV Group is being reached thanks to the synergy created by TAV Construction and TAV Airports.
“The synergy created by the TAV Group in Tunisia”
A SMALL CROSS-SECTION OF THE TAV FAMILY WHICH IS REALISING A DREAM IN TUNISIA: The TAV Tunisia Family, which has been working intensively at the Enfidha building site and moving towards the opening date of October 2009, is realising a project of pride and joy on the opposite side of the Mediterranean Sea!
“We have a very special, integrated experience, rarely found in the world aviation sector. This special experience is nourished by the unique synergy of TAV Construction and TAV Airports.”
Haluk Bilgi
TAV Tunisia Country Director
The concept that a part may be equal to the whole is among the most interesting facets in the study of Mathematics. If it were possible to adapt an abstract concept such as synergy to a concrete branch of science such as mathematics, this is the only way in which the TAV Group’s achievements in Tunisia could be expressed. Entailing construction and operation processes, the forty-year long Tunisia project is proof of the mature, experienced work of TAV Construction and TAV Airports, as well as of the strength of the synergy deriving from the whole of the TAV Group.
TAV Tunisia Country Director Haluk Bilgi took on important duties in the pre-bid preparation process of the project together with TAV’s team of “Golden Collars” and played a role in the successful completion of the bidding process. Bilgi expresses the synergy of the TAV Group as follows: “When we came to Tunisia, we carried with us the experience we had acquired in the fields of both construction and operations; in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir and Georgia. We were equipped with know-how ranging from pre-bid preparations to the bid process, to production and operations; something which is rarely found in such an integrated form in the world aviation sector. This experience is nourished by the unique synergy of TAV construction and TAV Airports.” Bilgi, who is also Business Development Director for TAV Airports Holding with Responsibility for Affiliated Companies, is managing the completion of the set-up in Tunisia of TAV Airports Holding’s affiliated companies.
“The Tunisian TAV Family and our business associates cherish the hope of a beautiful future, the buds of which have germinated and are now growing in our building site.”
Atilla Þaylan
TAV Construction Tunisia Project manager Mustafa Nebil
TAV Construction Tunisia Country Director
Mustafa Nebil is the experienced manager of 3,400 workers--900 of whom are Turkish--who are constructing the Enfidha Zine El Abidine Ben Ali International Airport, an airport with a tower that ranks as the tallest in Europe and Africa. Nebil says that the main decisive factor in the construction of an airport is to meet operational needs in the best way possible. Stating that being equipped with the know-how of TAV Airports steers one towards perfection in the most efficient manner possible, he says, “For example, we have carried out some enhancements in order to render more functional the architectural design, which was created by the French Aeroport de Paris Engineering company and that we too, like everybody else, liked very much. And of course this enhancement took place under the guidance of the operational experience of TAV Airports…”
In the bid for the Tunisia project, Hochtief entered in a consortium that included Mubadala (a finance company from the United Arab Emirates), SNC Lavalin and Aeroport de Nice. The TAV Group, on the other hand, was able to win the bid on its own, on the basis of its extremely valuable labor force.
The synergy created by TAV Construction and TAV Airports can be seen in making the “Parts bigger than the Whole” in the TAV Tunisia project. The international arena’s trust in the TAV Group--which has a very short history consisting of only ten years--is even more striking on the opposite side of the Mediterranean than it is in Turkey. The TAV Group documents in these pages the global enterprises it has undertaken in all fields, as well as the global success and level of expertise it has achieved in Tunisia.
The Turks create history in Tunisia
The Zine El Abidine Ben Ali International Airport, located in Enfidha, is the largest project in Tunisia. It is also the first stop on a journey that follows the coalescence of forces culminating in the forty-year bid for construction and operation of the Zine El Abidine Ben Ali International Airport and the re-organization and operation of the Monastir Habib Bourguiba International Airport. This is a very prestigious project and has been awarded such high importance by Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, President of Tunisia, that he decided to name it after himself. The project is also the TAV Group’s first “greenfield” airport project; that is to say, it will be constructed from scratch, including the entire infrastructure, on an empty site. In other words, this is the first end-to-end project to be realised shoulder to shoulder by TAV Construction and TAV Airports, starting from before the bid..
The power of TAV eclipses world giants
The Zine El Abidine Ben Ali International Airport, designed in 1999 by Aeroport de Paris Engineering for Tunisia’s preparation for the new millennium, was initially considered a state project. Later on, following the success of “build-operate-transfer” models throughout the world, the project was re-assessed. Haluk Bilgi, who is both TAV Tunisia Country Director and TAV Airports Holding Business Development Director with Responsibility for Affiliated Companies, comments as follows on the fact that they, and their competitors at the time, underwent a pre-bid competence process in 2003-2004: “While TAV received pre-bid competency as a force in and of itself, our rivals were six very strong international consortia. There are only two companies that are able to offer end-to-end services in this field: Hochtief and TAV. We offered to produce designs, create financing for the project, construct and operate. But Hochtief preferred to participate in the bid with a consortium.”
In the wake of the pre-bid competency process, some of TAV’s competitors joined forces; Hochtief formed a consortium that included Mubadala (a finance company from the United Arab Emirates), SNC Lavalin and Aeroport de Nice. The TAV Group proceeded on its own and was able to win the bid on the basis of experience not be found in any other company--and of its extremely valuable and confident labor force.
Mustafa Nebil, leader of the building site in Enfidha and TAV Construction Country Director, emphasizes that when they were moving forward within the pre-bid preparation process and the bidding process itself, they were aware of their strengths. “When we came to Tunisia, our team, under the leadership of Haluk Bilgi, undertook a very intensive preparation process. Our rivals were incredible world giants but it was not easy for them to demonstrate the ability for rapid movement that we have. I believe that when we came to Tunisia, we brought along a kind of memory transferred genetically from our ancestors. We had great confidence in ourselves and we believed not only that we would succeed at this job, but that we would do so rapidly and in the best possible way. The ability to meet all expectations single-handedly has provided us with a great advantage in both the bidding and the production process. At TAV Construction we had endless confidence in ourselves in the international arena: The Tbilisi International Airport had gone into service, the “Emirates A380 Hangars” in Dubai had been completed, the Cairo Airport project in Egypt was underway and the bid had been won for the Doha International Airport in Qatar.”
A DAY ON THE BUILDING SITE
Atilla Þaylan, Project Manager for TAV Construction, tells us of one day on the building site. “A day never begins on the building site, because it never ends,” says Þaylan, explaining that work continues 24 hours a day. He adds: “When we were planning the building site, we carried out some analytical studies on the basis of man hours and work programs. We reached the conclusion that we needed to employ 1000 people. This means 1000 people who earn a living for their families and the building site, thereby affecting a population of 4-5,000. When we look at all the factors in play, we could say that we are managing a small town. Our site includes a small medical clinic, a mosque and a bank branch.”
5:30 -06:30
Breakfast at the Building Site
The building site generally starts to become active just before working hours begin. The summer period is more intensive because of difficult hot weather conditions and working hours begin at 07:00. Activity therefore begins around 05:30-06:00 in the morning. Breakfast generally ends around 06:30.
11:30 -13:30
Lunch Time Toward noon lunch breaks begin in shifts and are completed by 13:30. In the second half of the day work continues as planned.
06:45-07:00
Job Card Time
Around 07:00 the administrative team that resides mostly in the nearby town of Sousse begins to arrive. Score Card procedures are generally carried out between 06:45-07:00, because there are 50-60 primary sub-contractors. Each of these sub-contractors carries out jobs that, in regard to size, could constitute bids by themselves in Turkey.
17:00-19:00
Knock-Off Time for Daytime Workers
Daytime workers begin leaving in phases; between 17:00-19:00 momentum is gradually reduced.
07:00-08:00
Momentum Begins
Everyone goes to their work places; the first activity of the day generally consists in taking the necessary job safety precautions. Then the machines begin to work. Tunisian operators work on the lifting, loading and transport equipment. By 08:00 the building site has gained momentum.
19:00
24:00
Second Shift Begins After 1900, the teams for the second shift take over. Based on certain features, some jobs need to be done exclusively during daytime or during nighttime. For example, concrete and asphalt cannot be poured when it is very hot, so these jobs are carried out at night. As a result, the lights never go out and the dynamism never ends throughout day and night on the building site.
Soup Time The teams on the night shift have their soup and eat their meals while the other teams return from their shifts. Great care concerning hygiene and cleanliness is taken in the building site.
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“We have come a long way in Tunisia, working side by side with TAV Construction. Whether from Turkey or from Tunisia, we are all members of the TAV family. There is nothing we cannot do when we all pull together.”
Ersel Göral
TAV Tunisia General Manager
Ersel Göral explains that the strong ties among the TAV Group companies and the ability to move rapidly increase the speed with which they obtain results. He says: “We know that we are backed by thousands of people who support us, who think together and who are able to move rapidly. It is this knowledge that gives us courage. We continue to proceed together as a group with a high capacity for synergy and to transform that synergy into an advantage. Whether from Turkey or from Tunisia, the TAV family consists of hundreds of members. There is nothing we cannot do when we all pull together.”
The bidding success was followed by project financing
The tender offer was ready by the end of 2006. TAV Airports won the bid that was held publicly in January 2007, once the offer was submitted. Thanks to its very strong business plan, the TAV Group succeeded in overtaking several world giants.
After the groundbreaking ceremony of the Tunisia project took place on 24 July 2007, the project financing was also successfully achieved and it was also granted various awards by prestigious international publications. At this point Bilgi remarks, “We emerged on our own among world-wide giants. The TAV family, creator of this strong synergy, lies behind the success in Tunisia, as well as our many other successes. The strength of the TAV family is now acknowledged by the whole world. As a result of the trust held in us, the project financing was also very successful.”
The building site in Enfidha is as active as a beehive
A great groundbreaking ceremony took place on 24 July 2007, on the immense site of 6,000 hectares, where the Zine El Abidine Ben Ali International Airport would start construction. It was asserted that this was the first time that Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, President of Tunisia, had attended a ceremony of this kind.
After the groundbreaking ceremony, construction actually began in January 2008, following the handing over process of the site. TAV Construction Country Director Mustafa Nebil says that construction work is advancing very rapidly and that the end of the project is approaching.
First trial flight at the Zine El Abidine Ben Ali International Airport
It is very exciting to see that the largest project in the country is being carried out by a Turkish company. TAV Construction Tunisia Country Director Mustafa Nebil says that they plan on opening the Zine El Abidine Ben Ali International Airport in October 2009. The eagerly awaited first trial flight took place on 1 June, with a flight from Monastir to Enfidha. This process, also followed closely by the finance organizations that provided loans, made it possible also for the navigation and lighting equipment of the runway to be tested and constituted an important milestone for the whole project. The test, which generally lasts two weeks, was completed in four days, thanks to the installations set up by TAV Construction and to the quality of the equipment chosen. The date for the trial flight was set at the beginning in the project plan and was carried out accordingly.
The TAV Family in Tunisia
Administration Manager Evren Ýþler, whom we met in his office at the Enfidha building site, provided us with the following information on the numbers and general profiles of employees within the scope of the project: “A total of 3,400 people are working on the construction of the Zine El Abidine Ben Ali International Airport. Of these, 900 are Turkish. Of the 370 strong management team, 150 are Turkish and 220 are Tunisian. There are also about 2,500 Tunisian workers. We communicate mostly in French with local workers and in English with local employees in the engineer cadre and at management levels. Thanks to the close relations we have established with the Ministry of Labour in Tunisia, we have not had any problems in the procurement of human resources. Tunisia is equipped with a very well-trained, well-educated human resource base. They are happy to work with us and they too see themselves as a part of the larger TAV family.”
The Monastir Habib Bourguiba International Airport, which began operations on 1 January 2008, employs 507 people. Apart from 13 Turks at the management level, the TAV team at Monastir consists completely of Tunisians.
Tunisian employees at Enfidha and at Monastir explain that they are part of the TAV Family and that the TAV Group’s concept of “team spirit” is more than just words. As can be seen also from the heading “The Tunisian Strength of the TAV Family,” in the following pages, the TAV team spirit can be seen throughout. When asked what is done to achieve this spirit, TAV Construction Country Manager Mustafa Nebil says: “We have done nothing other than implement the business understanding and discipline of our organization. We have stood by our decisions and we have acted consistently. Working with a consistent company that is based on rules and discipline inspires confidence in our staff as well. They realize that they are developing personally thanks to the training we provide and to date they have acquired a significant amount of experience. Our Tunisian labor force is also very aware that it is working on the largest project in the country and for an international company that values it. Thanks to their endeavors, they are part of this project. They are all proud to wear their name tags.”
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“Today we are transferring the workforce from Tunisia to Oman; tomorrow we may very well find ourselves transferring a workforce from Earth to a project to be carried out in space. TAV has always had big dreams, so why not?”
Aylin Selen
TAV Construction General Manager
Aylin Selen, General Manager for TAV Construction, points out that they see the construction of the Zine El Abidine Ben Ali International Airport, in Enfidha, Tunisia, as one of the milestones that will lead the TAV Group to even greater projects in the future. Moreover, it is being followed closely at the international level as an exemplary project. Emphasizing that the accumulation of knowledge and manpower constitute the highest values for TAV Construction, Selen goes on to say that they are continuously adding to these values and that, toward this aim, all country directors have begun to put their project experiences into writing. The resulting documents are very valuable in that they will contribute to the training of new manpower and to the more efficient employment of the existing manpower in new projects. She says that they are aiming to transfer the manpower presently employed in the construction in Enfidha--expected to be completed in October 2009--to the building site for the “Runway and Infrastructure Work” which is part of the Oman Muscat International Airport Project, the bid for which was won in May. Selen goes on to say: “Today we are transferring workforce from Tunisia to Oman, tomorrow we may very well find ourselves transferring workforce from Earth to a project to be realised in space. TAV has always had big dreams, so why not?”
The team responsible for the operation of the Monastir Habib Bourguiba Airport, which has been in service for over a year, and for the Zine El Abidine Ben Ali International Airport, planned to be opened in October, has planned all its preparations in accordance with the opening date
TAV Airports is ready to take on the Zine El Abidine Ben Ali International Airport
TAV Tunisia General Manager Ersel Göral, leader of the team that is responsible for operating the Monastir Habib Bourguiba Airport--open for over a year--and the Zine El Abidine Ben Ali International Airport, which is planned to be opened in October, states that all preparations have been planned in accordance with the opening of the Zine El Abidine Ben Ali International Airport. When the Zine El Abidine Ben Ali International Airport opens, a large part of the air traffic in Monastir will be transferred to the airport in Enfidha. The new airport is scheduled to assume a total of one and a half million passengers who are currently flying in and out of the Monastir Habib Bourguiba International Airport. The latter airport, located in Monastir, where Habib Bourguiba, founder and President of Tunisia, was born and lived, presently serves 4-4.5 million passengers.
A touch of “TAV expertise” on passenger profiles
On the basis of previous experience, TAV Airports’ team in Tunisia plans on bringing about long term changes to passenger profiles, 95% of whom will initially consist of charter flight passengers, and to attract scheduled flights to the airport in Enfidha. Stating that in order to achieve this aim they are in continuous touch with flag carrier airlines, Göral says that they are promoting the advantages of the Zine El Abidine Ben Ali International Airport in Enfidha, and adds: “We have begun marketing work for the Zine El Abidine Ben Ali International Airport. We have just participated in the Routes Forum in Marrakesh, one of the main activities of the sector. This is the third Routes Forum activity that I have attended in order to promote our project in Enfidha. Two were regional (Africa) and one was a world forum. We have focused completely on the marketing of the Zine El Abidine Ben Ali International Airport.”
Such activities provide important opportunities to attract scheduled air traffic to Enfidha, as they represent platforms on which to promote our activities and strengthen our relationships with airlines. But Göral points out that face to face communication is also very effective: “Face to face meetings probably constitute our most important marketing activities. We frequently get together both with airlines and with tour operators and agencies that manage the major part of our current air traffic. As of 2009 we have actually begun to conduct monthly meetings. We think that the Zine El Abidine Ben Ali International Airport will soon be able to manage a significant amount of cargo traffic as well. We are in touch with world-wide cargo companies and they too fully believe that Enfidha will develop rapidly and that it will become Tunisia’s bright star in this sector. All parties are aware that we are fully reflecting the reality of the situation. A serious transformation will therefore begin in Enfidha in the short term.
NOTES FROM TUNISIA
Traces of an Ottoman Governor
There is an interesting story behind the site where the Zine El Abidine Ben Ali International Airport is being constructed. The bureaucratic structure of Tunisia is quite similar today to the system that was implemented during the Ottoman Empire. This includes the land registration system. It is therefore possible to trace back land owners to a very distant past. TAV Tunisia Country Director Haluk Bilgi smiles when he says that they were much moved when they looked at the registers for this land and found records showing that it once belonged to an Ottoman governor.
BTA Catering has adapted itself to the Tunisian taste When TAV Construction brought its team from Turkey it also brought along BTA Catering, one of the affiliate companies of TAV Airports Holding, for food service at the building site. BTA Catering has set up a nice kitchen at the building site and has begun to produce a total of 7,500 trays of food for three meals a day, as well as to make sandwiches and portable rations. Wishing to appeal to the taste of the Tunisian members of TAV, BTA Catering has begun to include traditional Tunisian dishes in its menus. The Tunisian members of TAV are very happy with this development!
Names given to tower cranes A request has been made to name the five tower cranes in the building site at Enfidha after historical personages from the history of Tunisia. TAV Construction gladly took action to fulfil this request and received the list of names to be printed on banners and hung on the cranes. The list of names contained a pleasant surprise, for among the names were the Navy Commander Barbaros Hayrettin Pasha (Kheireddine Pasha), who transformed the Mediterranean into an Ottoman lake, and Moncef Bey, who was among the most liked administrators of Tunisia under Ottoman rule. The other names were the Phoenician Queen Alyssa, founder of Carthage, Hannibal of Carthage, one of the most important leaders in history, and the famous Islamic scholar Ibn Khaldun.
Two villages on the road to Enfidha: Türki and Nebil Among Tunisians who are closely related to Turks it is possible to encounter surprising stories. TAV Construction Country Director Mustafa Nebil says that the French general manager of a Tunisian contracting company is called Sami Terzi, because he is of Tunisian origin and his grandmother was Turkish. In these lands it is also possible to find one’s roots. For example, the names of two villages on the road from Tunis to Enfidha, “Türki” and “Nebil,” lead one to reflect on this subject. Mustafa Nebil says that every time he passes by he longs to visit the Nebil village and that as soon as the project is over this is the first thing that he will do!
The Tunisian strength of the TAV Family
The TAV Group has won the approval of state authorities thanks to its employment understanding and its practice of working with sub-contractors in the project carried out in Tunisia. Of the 3,400 strong human resources, 2,500 are Tunisians. TAV obtains 70% of its labor force locally, and an important segment of this is made up of sub-contractors. TAV Tunisia Country Director Haluk Bilgi is proud to express that an important part of the brain power in the project team consists of Tunisian human resources. Within this brain power there are Tunisian graduates of the Sorbonne, Washington State University and Bilkent University. Moreover, Tunisian members of TAV, who are to be found at every level of the building site in Enfidha and in Monastir as members of the TAV Family, have great confidence in what they do and they work very hard.
Tunisian members of the TAV Family have shared with NewsPORT their thoughts about belonging to TAV
THE TUNIS OFFICE
RYM ZOUARI Office Manager
“I have been working in the Tunis office of TAV Tunisia from the very beginning of the project. I realize that I am part of a very important project. I am happy because I know that I am making a contribution to my country. I have been to Istanbul a few times for training and I loved the city. I didn’t feel as if I was in a foreign city but as if I was in the office I am so used to and as if I was staying with my family. I believe that our Turkish colleagues also feel at home in Tunisia. Here we communicate in English or in French but I would like to learn Turkish. I like to discover common words, such as “makas” (scissors) and “fatura” (invoice).
THE BUILDING SITE IN ENFIDHA
“I am the project officer for the sub-contracting company carrying out the concrete work of the airport. This is the first time that I am working on a project this big. The work we carry out is quite complicated, but it is very well organized and thanks to rapid decision making mechanisms the rhythm of the work is never interrupted. The good relationship between Tunisians and Turkish people is another important factor underlying the success of this building site. We carry out our work within a framework of mutual respect and understanding. God willing, we will be able to open the Zine El Abidine Ben Ali International Airport on time, without any delays.”
TARIK HAGGIE STBS Building Site Chief
JAFFALI NOURDDIE CERÝ Building Site Officer
“I am the representative of the company called CERI, which is carrying out the steel work of the airport. I have been working on this building site for eight months. I am very happy to be working with TAV. Everything works as it should. There have been no problems and no accidents. I am very happy with the work that we are putting forth. We constructed these bridges of glass. I am proud to be part of such a big project!
MONASTÝR HABIB BOURGUIBA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
“I have been working at the Monastir Habib Bourguiba International Airport since 1997. In January 2008, when the airport was privatized, I was transferred to TAV Tunisia. Here we have undergone many developments and enhancements carried out by TAV and we have increased the capacity of the airport through the innovations brought by TAV. Within the TAV operation we have developed an understanding that is focused on the satisfaction of customers. The new operating understanding provides managers with the opportunity for greater initiative and for job delegation. Working for TAV, I feel the security of working for an international organization. I have received a great deal of training and I have felt the investment made in human resources. I know that I am a member of the TAV Family.”
SOFIENE ABDESSALEM Operations General Manager
OLFA JAZIRI CHAIEB Accounting Manager
“I became a member of the TAV Family when the operation of the Monastir Habib Bourguiba International Airport was assumed. Being part of such a big project constitutes a great opportunity from the point of view of my career in finance. I know that the authorities in Tunisia are greatly impressed by TAV’s operating skills. We are very happy that thanks to TAV this knowledge and experience will be transferred to Tunisia. TAV also helped us to establish more relations with foreign countries by drawing investors to Tunisia.”
“I am responsible for announcing all arrivals, departures and delays in the airport. I have been working here for 15 years. Before TAV took over operation of the airport we worked in a stressful environment. Now we are like a family, like friends with our supervisors. I am proud to say that I work for TAV.”
SMAI NAJAH FIDS and Information Officer
FAOUZI BOURAOUI Baggage Porter
“I have been working here for 17 years. I was previously working on a fixed contract; with TAV’s arrival I began to receive social security. Our working conditions have greatly improved. Our Turkish managers treat us very warmly. Every time they run into me they greet me, ask me how I am, how my family is. If I have a problem they try to help me out. I am very happy to be part of the TAV Family.”
KHALDOUN CHERIF Terminal Operations Chief SALAH BHOURI Terminal Operations Chief
“We must preserve our brand quality if we want TAV and our airport to leave a good impression. We endeavor to provide all passengers with a rapid and problem-free service; from the moment they get off the plane to when they leave the airport, or from the moment they arrive in the airport to when they board the plane. We were previously connected to the Civil Aviation Office and it was difficult to make rapid and effective decisions. As that institution monitored many airports it was difficult for them to focus on a single airport. But since the entire administrative cadre is now here, problems or other shortcomings are identified immediately and efficient solutions are found. The flow of information is much faster now. Decisions that were previously made in a month can now be made in a few hours. The team spirit is very strong here as well. Responsibility is taken for both successes and failures. TAV has also improved our social security conditions. We too are part of the TAV Family now.”
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