New Doha International Airport will set a new standard in airline and airport efficiency, passenger convenience and service standards. And with the opening getter ever-closer, we chat with Mr Yusuf Akcayoglu, Gulf Regional Director of TAV Construction.
Construction Magazine: Why, in a fiercely competitive industry, do you think TAV was chosen to work on the NDIA project?
Yusuf Akcayoglu: An important reason why we are preferred by clients is the fact that TAV is a global brand in airport construction, completing projects on time and on budget with the utmost quality. Our past achievements, such as record-breaking construction performances at Istanbul Ataturk Airport, Ankara Esenboga Airport and Enfidha Airport projects in Tunisia, are very good references for our reliability in the eyes of clients.
Construction Magazine: What are the unique features of the New Doha International Airport?
Yusuf Akcayoglu: NDIA is a greenfield airport development situated on a 22 kilometre square area, with a significant portion of this on reclaimed land. Being one of the first airports to be designed specifically to accommodate Airbus A380s, NDIA development consists of numerous contract packages, including a state-of-the-art passenger terminal building, the Emiri Terminal, an air traffic control tower, aircraft maintenance hangars, catering facility, a cargo terminal, two new runways, apron and taxiways and so forth. The package we, along with our Japanese partner Taisei Corporation, built is the Passenger Terminal Complex.
Construction Magazine: What are the most important challenges you face when executing this project?
Yusuf Akcayoglu: Construction of the project has been a remarkable experience, with the realization of our valuable Client’s vision requiring the best engineering practices and deployment of world-class resources. Most importantly, we have had a challenging schedule to meet and NDIA is a project where the highest quality standards are applied and the strictest Health & Safety measures are implemented. At NDIA, we employ a workforce of 19,000 labourers and 3,000 engineers, originating from more than 30 different countries. Coordination of this multi-national team in a variety of disciplines is a significant achievement in its own right.
Construction Magazine: What other projects are you working on in the MENA region at the present time?
Yusuf Akcayoglu: We have been working in this region for almost ten years now. Sharing a common history and having strong cultural ties, we, as a Turkish contractor have enjoyed our venture. During our tenure in this region, we undertook projects in Egypt, U.A.E., Qatar, Tunisia, Oman, Libya and most recently, in Saudi Arabia. For our current projects, the most recent and the big news is the successful bid that the consortium led by TAV Airports placed for the expansion of the Medina International Airport in Saudi Arabia. Partners of our consortium are the local conglomerates Al-Rajhi Holding and Saudi Oger.
Construction Magazine: Airport projects account for much of your business, but you are moving into other areas too?
Yusuf Akcayoglu: Yes, more than 90% of our portfolio is airport projects. However, the founding shareholders of TAV, Tepe Group and Akfen Holding are two Turkish conglomerates conducting business in many sectors and for construction; they have 40-years of international experience. Their vast experience includes all kinds of construction;residential/commercial/mixed-use developments, hotels, hospitals, university campuses; industrial, infrastructure and pipeline projects. Therefore, the group’s extensive experience at non-aviation construction projects is a significant strength. To sum up, yes TAV is a very well-known brand for airport construction; but, with our founding shareholders’ past experience, we also pursue general building projects.
