Nöbetçi Eczaneler
I started working at TAV Airports in 1997, when Istanbul Atatürk Airport was still under construction. I was the 28th employee to join the company. Today, TAV Airports is a global organization with more than 14,500 employees. Spending 17 years of my career within TAV gave me the opportunity not only to understand airport operations but also to experience every stage of an airport’s lifecycle up close, from architecture and infrastructure to passenger flow planning and operational details. I was able to observe firsthand how design decisions affect operations, and how operational practices shape the passenger experience.
One of the most critical elements of this journey was the teams I worked with. I always knew that none of this would have been possible without colleagues who loved their work, had vision, were open to development, and often worked with great dedication and sacrifice. These teams, who observed operations on the ground, interacted directly with passengers, gathered feedback, and implemented solutions, became the true carriers of every service we developed.
This holistic perspective and strong team culture played a decisive role in every passenger-experience decision we made in the years that followed. We knew that congestion at one point was often linked to an architectural choice, while a delay might stem from an operational habit. Having deep knowledge of the details and relying on on-site observations allowed us to identify problems at their true source.
When the airport became operational in 1999, our focus naturally shifted to the passenger. We began closely observing how passengers moved through the airport, where they slowed down, and where they experienced stress. At the time, we didn’t have today’s advanced digital analytics tools but we had a powerful source of data: being present on the ground. Suggestion and complaint boxes, direct interactions, short conversations, and daily observations helped us understand passengers’ real expectations. The teams’ attentiveness and sense of ownership on the ground played a critical role in collecting and interpreting this feedback.
We didn’t just listen to this feedback; we evaluated it systematically. We treated requests not as isolated demands, but as recurring needs and behavioral patterns. For some passengers, time was the biggest issue; for others, wayfinding or lack of comfort. When interpreted correctly, these insights made it clear that comfort at the airport is not created at a single point, but through a chain of experiences spanning the entire journey.
With this understanding, we took our first step by introducing fast-track services at X-ray security checkpoints. We then developed valet parking services and created solutions for passengers who did not want to wait at passport control. Naturally, implementing these services was not easy. From a security and regulatory perspective, the concept of privileged services is always approached with caution. However, there is a universal truth in aviation: passengers are willing to pay for greater comfort. We applied this approach through a controlled, transparent, and limited model.
Initially, all these services were offered under the Primeclass Passenger Services brand. Fast track, valet parking, lounge access, buggy services, all addressed the passengers’ core expectations. Over time, Primeclass expanded beyond terminal-based services. We began to see the journey as an experience that starts at the passenger’s home and ends back at their door. We offered private and luxury transfers, meet-and-greet, and farewell services from home to the airport and back. At some airports, arriving passengers were welcomed directly on the apron with private vehicles. These services were designed in line with each country’s security and operational regulations.
As we continued to observe passenger behavior more closely, it became clear that Primeclass Passenger Services needed differentiation. Services were segmented and gradually evolved into a loyalty program approach. This transformation led to the creation of TAV Passport, a clearly structured loyalty card program. Passengers were no longer purchasing individual services; they became part of an ecosystem that recognized them, remembered their preferences, and adapted to their needs.
This process taught me an important lesson about leadership: effective leadership is not just about generating the right ideas, it’s about building the teams that can bring those ideas to life, listening to them, and growing together. Innovation often emerges not from grand strategy documents, but from listening closely to the observations of people on the ground.
Today, this vision has evolved into a global success model through TAV Operation Services, TAV Airports’ company, responsible for non-aviation revenues. Operating in 19 countries and 40 airports, with 88 premium lounges, the company is among the world’s leading brands in this field. Offering a wide range of services, from meet-and-greet and fast-track solutions to loyalty programs and the management of airport commercial areas, TAV Operation Services delivers premium passenger experiences worldwide through the Primeclass and TAV Passport brands, as well as its lounge operations.
Seeing this brand and service model being adopted over time by different airports and under different brands clearly proves that it responds to a real and universal need. As the founder of this brand, I take pride in having created a pioneering model in the field of non-aviation revenues, one that has become a reference project for airports and operators alike. Today, TAV Airports continues to own and deliver these services on a global scale.