Istanbul Airport bans ‘meet and greet’ signs

Pickup signs are now banned at Istanbul Airport (Hurriyet)

Istanbul: Istanbul Airport has banned welcoming arrival passengers with pickup signs, saying the decision taken by the security commission aimed to avoid “backstreet agentship.”

“The most important duty in the transfer of tourists belongs to the airports and Istanbul Airport needs to be built in a more modern and guest-oriented center,” İsmail Şanlı, the regional governor of the airport was quoted as saying by local media.

With the development of tourism in Turkey, this ban will add strength to the point of preventing undesirable behaviors that operate under the name of a “backstreet agency.”

Under the new rule, those who do not know the person they are welcoming are required to wait for the passenger at the “meeting lounge.”

“Meeting lounge sections were put into service to prevent passengers from confusion at the terminal exit,” Şanlı said.

Passengers and those waiting to pick them up will provide their names to the lounge agents who will make sure they meet up.

“This way, we are to eliminate the customers’ anxieties such as ‘Who is to welcome me, where?’” Şanlı, said.

According to the airport governor, the new regulation will curb the unlicensed transportation services.

“The meeting lounge will play an important role regarding the issue of preventing unlicensed activities,” he said.

The lounge, operational since the start of the new year, will be free until March 31.

“After that, a contribution will be paid to cover the services here but not for trade purposes. We will consider meeting a passenger with a banner inside the airport as “backstreet agentship,” Şanlı said.