New Airport for Alanya

Gazipasa, Alanya and nearby resorts are celebrating the news that Gazipasa has a new owner and is set to open by summer 2008. In a government tender, TAV, a Turkish-owned company, which currently manages three of Turkey’s busiest international airports and also operates boutique airports in Eastern Europe and North Africa, won a 25 year lease in exchange for 50,000 dollars annual rent and 65% of the profits.

A team from TAV have been in Gazipasa and Alanya since the news was announced.  They have been meeting with local officials and planning a construction project which is required to increase the capacity of the current facilities to handle three million passengers annually.  Company officials have announced in the press that the airport will be open to international passengers within a year.  TAV, short for Tepe Akfen Airports Holding, currently mange Istanbul, Izmir and Ankara International Airports.  Having recently lost out on a government tender to manage Antalya International Airport, the company may be determined to provide some serious competition for its rival.

[It is] the most exciting thing to happen to Alanya since the founding of the Turkish Republic”, says Taylan Gundes, managing director of Lesgototurkey Real Estate and Construction Company, in reaction to the news.  His words reflect the air of excitement and surge of hope felt by most businesspeople in Alanya after years of speculation about the airport.  It was the best possible news after a difficult year for real estate and tourism.  Real estate sales had slowed, with construction companies struggling to sell a surplus of empty, new apartments.  But since the news was announced, real estate values have already risen and industry professionals predict a 20-50% increase in prices over the next two years, brining values in line with Bodrum and Fethiya.

“After all the disappointments in the past, I didn’t believe that airport would actually open until I heard that it was TAV who had won the contract” says Taylan.

Richer Tourists
The airport will have a huge impact on tourism and the real estate sector.  Considering that the transfer to Alanya is over two hours on a tour operator coach, the result has been remarkably successful in attracting so many visitors and property buyers – a testament to the charms of the area.  But now it can expect it\\\\\\\'s visitor profile to change.  Already, the airport news has encouraged foreign investors to put down money for golf course development.

Known particularly in Scandinavian countries as a hotspot for nightlife, the shorter twenty-minutes transfer will undoubtedly attract more families to the area.  Alanya will also become accessible to wealthy Turks from Ankara and Istanbul looking for a weekend getaway.  “In Bodrum, rich Turks are raising the quality of tourism because they refuse to accept terrible service and food at all-inclusive hotels.  The same thing will happen here” predicts Taylan.

Travellers should benefit from better service, a wider choice of destinations, and cheaper flight seats, as tour operators and airlines have more bargaining power with two airports serving the same resorts.

Which Airlines?
Foreign residents are impatient to learn which airlines will operate out of Gazipasa.  Gulcin Gunder, president of Alanya’s tourism association (ALTID), made a statement to the press that TAV is already in talks with Easyjet, a low cost UK airline which has routes across Europe.  Easyjet already fly fro the UK to Sabiha Gokcek Airprot in Istanbul.

Alanya patriots are lobbying for the name of the airport to include ‘Alanya’ claiming that Gazipasa isn’t well known outside of Turkey.  So far there has been no official comment from TAV or the Ministry of Tourism regarding the name.
Gazipasa is a 20 minute drive from Alanya and around 1 hour 15 minutes from Side.