STORY: Türkiye's Antalya airport undergoes makeover to boost tourism
DATELINE: Aug. 12, 2023
LENGTH: 00:04:19
LOCATION: ANTALYA, Türkiye
CATEGORY: SOCIETY/ECONOMY
 
SHOTLIST:
1. various of Antalya airport and passengers at the airport
2. various of the construction of Antalya airport's expansion project
3. SOUNDBITE (Turkish): DURDALI SAVKAR, Antalya airport chief manager

STORYLINE:
 
Antalya, a major tourist destination on Türkiye's southern Mediterranean coast, is undergoing a major expansion of its airport to accommodate the growing number of foreign visitors.
 
The international airport is currently undergoing a comprehensive renovation and expansion project that will double its annual passenger capacity from 40 million to 80 million.
 
The first phase of the project, which began in January 2022 and is scheduled to be completed in January 2025, includes the construction of a new runway, terminal building, and cargo handling facility.
 
The project is partly financed by the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, which extended in April a 140-million euro loan (153.6 million U.S. dollars) to the airport.
 
Erdogan Karabacak, project director for TAV Construction, the company that is leading the airport expansion, told Xinhua that the Antalya airport is a "pillar of the country's tourism sector," adding that the project will permit "greater cross-border connectivity between Europe, Asia, and beyond."
 
The expansion of Antalya airport is part of a larger effort by Türkiye to boost tourism. In 2022, the country attracted a record 42 million foreign tourists, generating 34.5 billion U.S. dollars in revenue. Türkiye is aiming to attract 60 million foreign tourists and generate 56 billion dollars in tourism revenues in 2023.
 
"We aim to expand the tourism season to 12 months a year, moving beyond just the summer boom. This project can help us achieve that goal," Durdali Savkar, Antalya airport chief manager, told Xinhua.
 
SOUNDBITE (Turkish): DURDALI SAVKAR, Antalya airport chief manager
"Our current passenger capacity is 35 million annually, and our projection for the future is more arrivals. Therefore, it has been decided to expand and renovate the airport to contribute to Türkiye's tourism.
When we complete the expansion project of Antalya airport, this will contribute to several sectors, including tourism as well as creating new jobs to boost local and national economy."
 
Tourism is a major economic driver for Türkiye, contributing about 10 percent of the country's GDP and employing about 1.7 million people.
 
Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Antalya, Türkiye.
(XHTV)