ISTANBUL – Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen International Airport (IATA Code: SAW) - Malaysia Airports fully-owned asset in Turkey recently welcomed the world’s largest airport duty free operator, Dufry in November 2020. SAW is Istanbul’s second busiest airport, registering 35.6 million passengers in 2019 and was named Europe’s fastest growing airport for seven consecutive years from 2009 to 2015. Despite the global pandemic this year, SAW remains Europe’s top 10 busiest airports and positioned as Istanbul’s emerging city airport, hence providing Dufry with a strong proposition to expand its retail presence at SAW.
According to Malaysia Airports group chief executive officer (CEO) Dato’ Mohd Shukrie Mohd Salleh, SAW is also keen to leverage on Dufry’s reputation as a leading travel retailer, “This is a win-win partnership for both parties. With Dufry’s participation, we will be able to uplift the retail offerings at the airport in terms of product diversity from renowned international and local brands, as well as state-of-the-art shopping experience as Dufry will be incorporating digital technology at their outlets. Meanwhile, SAW’s reputation as a fast-growing city airport within a 22 million population catchment area will provide Dufry with a strong customer base and the opportunity to consolidate its position in Turkey.”
Dufry will be occupying 3,900 square metres of retail space comprising a total of eight retail lots. They will offer an attractive assortment of core travel retail categories such as liquor, tobacco, perfume and cosmetics as well as accessories and confectionery. A refined selection of local food and souvenir brands, which will create an immersive sense of place showcasing Turkey’s cultural heritage and specialties, will further complete and enhance the shopping experience.