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Another airport rumor?
Alanya waits for airport permission
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
REETA ÇEVİK
ALANYA - Turkish Daily News
Kerim Aydoğan, president of Aydoğan A.Ş., recently applied for a permission from the Ministry of Transport to build a new airport in Alanya. It is expected that the outcome of the application will become clear once the new government has been formed.
Although Alanya has an airport at Gazipaşa, it is not used. Some claim that the airport, which was has been 90 percent complete since 2002, is located too close to the mountains for planes to land safely, and that its runways are too short. But others accuse the business circles of Antalya for sabotaging the license of Gazipaşa airport to safeguard their own benefits. However, even if the airport was opened to traffic, it is unlikely that it would serve international passengers.
Aydoğan told the Turkish Daily News that he decided to file an application to build the airport to ease up travel to the town. “At present passengers to Alanya can use only the Antalya airport, which is almost two hours away. This reduces the tourism potential of Alanya. For those who have bought property in the town an airport nearby would make life much easier,” he said.
Aydoğan suggested three different locations for the new airport - one near Gazipaşa, one between Alanya and Manavgat and one in Cebelireis, each 30 minutes from the town center.
Alanya is one of the most popular resorts in Turkey. Approximately one million foreign tourists visit the town each year.
British support:
Aydoğan is prepared to invest 200 million euros in the project and has also the support of a British company. “If our application is approved, building the airport will provide work for 40 architects and 135 technicians. Our goal is to open the airport to traffic in March 2009,” he said.
He also said the new airport will not reduce the tourism revenues of Antalya. On the contrary, it will contribute positively to the development of the industry in the region. “An airport in Alanya will, of course, mean that tourism arrivals will be distributed more equally throughout the region. But it will also motivate tourists to visit the Alanya-Antalya region more than just one time as transport becomes easier and they have a variety of choices,” he said.
Many local residents also point out that most tourists who use Antalya as their base take trips to Alanya, Manavgat and other resorts in the region in any case and therefore the claims of losses of income for Antalya are unfounded.
Alanya Municipality has warmly welcomed the initiative. “Improved transportation links will be a major benefit for the town, its residents and its economy,” Abdullah Karaoğlu, member of Alanya City Council and chairman of Tourism Commission, told the TDN.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
REETA ÇEVİK
ALANYA - Turkish Daily News
Kerim Aydoğan, president of Aydoğan A.Ş., recently applied for a permission from the Ministry of Transport to build a new airport in Alanya. It is expected that the outcome of the application will become clear once the new government has been formed.
Although Alanya has an airport at Gazipaşa, it is not used. Some claim that the airport, which was has been 90 percent complete since 2002, is located too close to the mountains for planes to land safely, and that its runways are too short. But others accuse the business circles of Antalya for sabotaging the license of Gazipaşa airport to safeguard their own benefits. However, even if the airport was opened to traffic, it is unlikely that it would serve international passengers.
Aydoğan told the Turkish Daily News that he decided to file an application to build the airport to ease up travel to the town. “At present passengers to Alanya can use only the Antalya airport, which is almost two hours away. This reduces the tourism potential of Alanya. For those who have bought property in the town an airport nearby would make life much easier,” he said.
Aydoğan suggested three different locations for the new airport - one near Gazipaşa, one between Alanya and Manavgat and one in Cebelireis, each 30 minutes from the town center.
Alanya is one of the most popular resorts in Turkey. Approximately one million foreign tourists visit the town each year.
British support:
Aydoğan is prepared to invest 200 million euros in the project and has also the support of a British company. “If our application is approved, building the airport will provide work for 40 architects and 135 technicians. Our goal is to open the airport to traffic in March 2009,” he said.
He also said the new airport will not reduce the tourism revenues of Antalya. On the contrary, it will contribute positively to the development of the industry in the region. “An airport in Alanya will, of course, mean that tourism arrivals will be distributed more equally throughout the region. But it will also motivate tourists to visit the Alanya-Antalya region more than just one time as transport becomes easier and they have a variety of choices,” he said.
Many local residents also point out that most tourists who use Antalya as their base take trips to Alanya, Manavgat and other resorts in the region in any case and therefore the claims of losses of income for Antalya are unfounded.
Alanya Municipality has warmly welcomed the initiative. “Improved transportation links will be a major benefit for the town, its residents and its economy,” Abdullah Karaoğlu, member of Alanya City Council and chairman of Tourism Commission, told the TDN.
