İGA Istanbul Airport CEO Selahattin Bilgen spoke exclusively to AirwayBuzz following the ACI World Airport Experience Summit 2026.

Bilgen described the summit as one of ACI’s most important events, noting that the Istanbul edition brought together more than 800 senior participants from over 80 countries.

He said the three-day event featured meetings, discussions and panels where airports from different parts of the world shared their approaches and practices related to passenger experience. Bilgen noted that this year’s summit placed a strong emphasis on a human-centered approach, stressing that despite the growing importance of technology in airport processes, the human touch remains one of the most valuable elements of the passenger experience.

Bilgen also said Istanbul and Istanbul Airport received positive feedback from international participants, adding that the official handover was made to Melbourne Airport, which will host the event in 2027.