As the airline that flies to more countries than any other, Turkish Airlines continues to receive accolades for its performance and leadership in the sector, this time, the Executive Leadership award for its CEO Bilal Ekşi from the 2022 Airline Strategy Awards

Ekşi received the award for his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic, which turned out to be effective as supported by the airline’s strong numbers during the post-pandemic recovery.

Recognising management talent

Organised by FlightGlobal’s Airline Business in partnership with the civil aviation practice of Korn Ferry – the largest human-capital solutions provider in the world – the awards started in 2002 as the industry struggled to emerge from the crisis caused by 9/11. As the awards’ goal was to recognise the crucial role that management talent plays in shaping future success, this year’s awards take on a special meaning as COVID-19 became the biggest aviation crisis since 9/11.

The awards given are in six categories: Executive, Sector, Low-Cost and Air-Cargo Leadership, Innovation and Transformation and ESG. Winners are selected by an independent panel of industry experts.

Receiving the Executive Leadership award on behalf of Ekşi, Turkish Airlines Chief Investment and Technology Officer Levent Konukcu extended his gratitude for the award to all members of the Turkish Airlines family.

He shared that during the the most challenging time in aviation history, they distinguished themselves from competitors by continuing with their operations as much as the situation allowed, overcoming the difficulties with innovative approaches. As a result, they became one of the leading airlines in recovery, taking first place with flights between European airlines.

Now, we observe a serious recovery in passenger traffic, and we aim to have a high performance in the summer season. With the strong recovery of the aviation sector as a whole, the worse is behind us and now is the time for everyone to build on their past successes.

He added that they aim to not only catch their pre-pandemic numbers but also to surpass them by constantly making themselves better.

On the award won by Turkish Airlines, FlightGlobal Head of Content and Airline Strategy Awards host Graham Dunn, said that airlines in the past two years tested management skills to the limit. And as the industry emerges from the pandemic, it is becoming clearer which leaders have acted not only to ensure their survival but managed to make their businesses better suited to post-COVID realities. New challenges are emerging, further testing the resilience of individual businesses.

The Airline Strategy Awards have recognised the best in leadership since 2002 and the winners this 2022 all excel in this regard.


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