Sadık Elmas: Flying high in turbulent times
Güncelleme Tarihi:
by Gul Demir - Niki Gamm
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mayıs 09, 2009 00:00
ISTANBUL - The global economic crisis is on everybody’s mind whether it is affecting one’s own pocketbook or those of relatives and neighbors.
While almost everybody is conscious of the problems the world’s major banks are having, it has been interesting to note that one rarely hears about airlines. It is as if all those problems that the airline companies were having just a year ago have been solved. Their difficulties don’t seem so great any more.Â
One of the wisest of airlines has been Lufthansa, the German national airline. Just recently Lufthansa announced that it had made a profit of 1.35 billion Euros for 2008. It proposed in turn that it give a dividend of 70 cents a share at its annual general meeting.
Lufthansa got through the crisis after Sept. 11 and the increase in petrol prices by asking its entire personnel to take a 5 percent cut in pay and work 5 percent fewer hours. Together it meant that no one had to be fired. But the airline never skimped on safety. On shorter runs, there were fewer food services and on long flights there were fewer choices on the menu.
No big reductions
In an interview with Sadık Elmas who has been the general manager of Lufthansa Turkey for the past six years, he said, "The crisis influenced our two İzmir flights. We had to continually cancel one of them. But in Turkey we have nine flights, and there hasn’t been a great reduction. The difference in the number of travelers has been something like 3 to 4 percent."
The 58-year-old Elmas has now passed the general manager’s baton in Turkey over to Gregor Wende. Lufthansa’s net profit in 2008 increased by 8.5 percent over the preceding year and Elmas expects the aviation sector in Turkey to begin to overcome the crisis starting in the second half of this year.
Meanwhile Elmas goes on to take over the position of general manager for Luftansa’s South Asia Ground Services and Airports. "My job is in South Asia," said Elmas. "In particular there is India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Basically we are flying to India. We have 54 flights a week into seven airports. We use large planes like the 747-340s. Asia in general is difficult. Because of India’s infrastructure, its airports are different so it is quite a difficult duty to maintain Lufthansa’s quality and improve it because of the difficult infrastructure. But it is an interesting and different culture with different people."
Elmas acknowledged that Lufthansa in Asia was affected by the economic crisis. "The number of passengers went down a bit but the number of flights didn’t. This is something positive. We believe that we will gather ourselves towards the end of the year."
When asked what was challenging about his work, Elmas replied, "Our work’s hard side is to go to other countries, try to understand the country and the people and try to do everything right. When I was appointed to Turkey my Turkish background helped a lot. I had a number of problems but I quickly got used to things. To work in Istanbul where I was born and to leave hasn’t been easy."
He is particularly proud of having been the general manager here in Turkey when Lufthansa celebrated the 50th anniversary of its first flight to Turkey. He was also the first Turk to be made a general manager for Lufthansa in Turkey. He himself never asked for it but when the offer came to him, he accepted it.
Elmas joined Lufthansa in 1971 working in the import/export divisions. Later he moved to Passengers Service at Frankfurt Airport rising to become team captain. Between 1988 and 1991 he served temporarily in place of Lufthansa station managers who were on holiday or business trips or had left Lufthansa. The position saw Elmas going from Miami to Hong Kong and from Duala in the Camerons to Goteborg, Sweden with more than 25 airports.
Before coming to Istanbul in 2003, Elmas served as station manager and sometimes as a sales manager and sometimes in other capacities in Karachi, Abu Dhabi, Nairobi, Sana and Khartoum. He was also involved in setting up the ground services for SunExpress.
Did he dream of becoming a pilot when he was young? "When I was 16 or 17, I loved being up high. When I looked from above to below, however high it was it always gave me more excitement even to think of jumping down." As for the reverse, "My head turned. While I was young it was my wish but it didn’t happen. As a hobby it could have been. But it’s a very expensive hobby."
Elmas admits he doesn’t have any free time but if he had had, he would have wanted to learn to play the piano. "This form of enjoyment would have done it. But when I retire, I want to continue piano lessons. It relaxes me a lot to play the piano. I have a tie with art. I prefer Vivaldi from the classics and I really love Bach and old jazz."
There’s another side to Elmas that few know about and that is his interest in the theater. He established a hobby club that put on plays and even did some modeling but as his work picked up, he had to leave it. Still that feeling has stayed inside him.
Lufthansa and Turkey
Lufthansa has an advantage over other airlines in that 3.5 million Turks live in Germany. Still only 15 percent of Turks traveling to Germany remain there, they go on to other destinations in Europe and/or North America. But as Elmas has pointed out, Turks used to travel by automobile between Germany and Turkey 15 years or so ago but now very few ever do. Plus air travel inside Turkey has also increased significantly.
When Elmas was asked, "Why Lufthansa? When you say Lufthansa what comes to a person’s mind?" his response was "Trust comes to many people’s minds. German discipline comes to mind. The products are good. A wide umbrella of products. According to every budget it is possible to buy tickets. The flight network is important. And there is Miles & More. We offer maximum service to important customers. There are some who only choose Lufthansa. So why not?"
On the other hand, Elmas praised Turkish Airlines, or THY. "THY in past years has been very successful and for years has carried out successful work. THY has recently joined the Star Alliance because of its quality and success. I get on well with many of the people at THY." What has contributed to Lufthansa’s success? Elmas’ answer is reaching their goals in their business life as a team. "To have an understanding and to work with each other happily as a team. We don’t have to get on with each other. But it shows respect for our work. We have to work as professionals. We have to respect our work. We have to learn things from each other. We work at this together every day." Elmas said he liked people who were open and with whom there was mutual respect. He noted that he listened to people and expected to be listened to in return. But he doesn’t care for hypocrisy.
Lufthansa marks 53rd year in Turkey
The year 2006 marked the 50th anniversary of Lufthansa operations in Turkey. Lufthansa was founded in 1955 and after only one year it began flying to a number of destinations in the region starting with Istanbul. The first flight occurred on September 12, 1956 from Frankfurt to Istanbul Yeşilköy Airport (today’s Atatürk Airport) where the German and Turkish foreign ministers. A large ceremony took place at the same time.
Today the German airline has many flights a week between Turkey and Germany. The fact that Lufthansa started flights to Turkey after only one year of its foundation proves how much importance Lufthansa attaches to Turkey,
"The story of Lufthansa's 50 years in Turkey is about an airline with a great reputation, commitment to a market and its successful deployment of modern aircraft and innovative flight products, which have led to an increasing number of passengers and economical progress," said Joachim Steinbach, vice president of sales and services for Southeast Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Pakistan at the time.
Lufthansa's charter airline Condor, its joint venture SunExpress with Turkish Airlines, Lufthansa Cargo and its catering company are operating in Turkey today. It also opened a call center here. Altogether the company has nearly 1,000 employees in Turkey. As a founding member of the world's biggest airline grouping, the Star Alliance network, Lufthansa offers its customers convenient connections to more than 800 destinations with its partner airlines.
In the summer of 2009, Lufthansa will be flying to 206 destinations in 78 countries as compared with 207 destinations in 81 countries, a drop of 0.5 percent over the comparable period.
One of the wisest of airlines has been Lufthansa, the German national airline. Just recently Lufthansa announced that it had made a profit of 1.35 billion Euros for 2008. It proposed in turn that it give a dividend of 70 cents a share at its annual general meeting.
Lufthansa got through the crisis after Sept. 11 and the increase in petrol prices by asking its entire personnel to take a 5 percent cut in pay and work 5 percent fewer hours. Together it meant that no one had to be fired. But the airline never skimped on safety. On shorter runs, there were fewer food services and on long flights there were fewer choices on the menu.
No big reductions
In an interview with Sadık Elmas who has been the general manager of Lufthansa Turkey for the past six years, he said, "The crisis influenced our two İzmir flights. We had to continually cancel one of them. But in Turkey we have nine flights, and there hasn’t been a great reduction. The difference in the number of travelers has been something like 3 to 4 percent."
The 58-year-old Elmas has now passed the general manager’s baton in Turkey over to Gregor Wende. Lufthansa’s net profit in 2008 increased by 8.5 percent over the preceding year and Elmas expects the aviation sector in Turkey to begin to overcome the crisis starting in the second half of this year.
Meanwhile Elmas goes on to take over the position of general manager for Luftansa’s South Asia Ground Services and Airports. "My job is in South Asia," said Elmas. "In particular there is India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Basically we are flying to India. We have 54 flights a week into seven airports. We use large planes like the 747-340s. Asia in general is difficult. Because of India’s infrastructure, its airports are different so it is quite a difficult duty to maintain Lufthansa’s quality and improve it because of the difficult infrastructure. But it is an interesting and different culture with different people."
Elmas acknowledged that Lufthansa in Asia was affected by the economic crisis. "The number of passengers went down a bit but the number of flights didn’t. This is something positive. We believe that we will gather ourselves towards the end of the year."
When asked what was challenging about his work, Elmas replied, "Our work’s hard side is to go to other countries, try to understand the country and the people and try to do everything right. When I was appointed to Turkey my Turkish background helped a lot. I had a number of problems but I quickly got used to things. To work in Istanbul where I was born and to leave hasn’t been easy."
He is particularly proud of having been the general manager here in Turkey when Lufthansa celebrated the 50th anniversary of its first flight to Turkey. He was also the first Turk to be made a general manager for Lufthansa in Turkey. He himself never asked for it but when the offer came to him, he accepted it.
Elmas joined Lufthansa in 1971 working in the import/export divisions. Later he moved to Passengers Service at Frankfurt Airport rising to become team captain. Between 1988 and 1991 he served temporarily in place of Lufthansa station managers who were on holiday or business trips or had left Lufthansa. The position saw Elmas going from Miami to Hong Kong and from Duala in the Camerons to Goteborg, Sweden with more than 25 airports.
Before coming to Istanbul in 2003, Elmas served as station manager and sometimes as a sales manager and sometimes in other capacities in Karachi, Abu Dhabi, Nairobi, Sana and Khartoum. He was also involved in setting up the ground services for SunExpress.
Did he dream of becoming a pilot when he was young? "When I was 16 or 17, I loved being up high. When I looked from above to below, however high it was it always gave me more excitement even to think of jumping down." As for the reverse, "My head turned. While I was young it was my wish but it didn’t happen. As a hobby it could have been. But it’s a very expensive hobby."
Elmas admits he doesn’t have any free time but if he had had, he would have wanted to learn to play the piano. "This form of enjoyment would have done it. But when I retire, I want to continue piano lessons. It relaxes me a lot to play the piano. I have a tie with art. I prefer Vivaldi from the classics and I really love Bach and old jazz."
There’s another side to Elmas that few know about and that is his interest in the theater. He established a hobby club that put on plays and even did some modeling but as his work picked up, he had to leave it. Still that feeling has stayed inside him.
Lufthansa and Turkey
Lufthansa has an advantage over other airlines in that 3.5 million Turks live in Germany. Still only 15 percent of Turks traveling to Germany remain there, they go on to other destinations in Europe and/or North America. But as Elmas has pointed out, Turks used to travel by automobile between Germany and Turkey 15 years or so ago but now very few ever do. Plus air travel inside Turkey has also increased significantly.
When Elmas was asked, "Why Lufthansa? When you say Lufthansa what comes to a person’s mind?" his response was "Trust comes to many people’s minds. German discipline comes to mind. The products are good. A wide umbrella of products. According to every budget it is possible to buy tickets. The flight network is important. And there is Miles & More. We offer maximum service to important customers. There are some who only choose Lufthansa. So why not?"
On the other hand, Elmas praised Turkish Airlines, or THY. "THY in past years has been very successful and for years has carried out successful work. THY has recently joined the Star Alliance because of its quality and success. I get on well with many of the people at THY." What has contributed to Lufthansa’s success? Elmas’ answer is reaching their goals in their business life as a team. "To have an understanding and to work with each other happily as a team. We don’t have to get on with each other. But it shows respect for our work. We have to work as professionals. We have to respect our work. We have to learn things from each other. We work at this together every day." Elmas said he liked people who were open and with whom there was mutual respect. He noted that he listened to people and expected to be listened to in return. But he doesn’t care for hypocrisy.
Lufthansa marks 53rd year in Turkey
The year 2006 marked the 50th anniversary of Lufthansa operations in Turkey. Lufthansa was founded in 1955 and after only one year it began flying to a number of destinations in the region starting with Istanbul. The first flight occurred on September 12, 1956 from Frankfurt to Istanbul Yeşilköy Airport (today’s Atatürk Airport) where the German and Turkish foreign ministers. A large ceremony took place at the same time.
Today the German airline has many flights a week between Turkey and Germany. The fact that Lufthansa started flights to Turkey after only one year of its foundation proves how much importance Lufthansa attaches to Turkey,
"The story of Lufthansa's 50 years in Turkey is about an airline with a great reputation, commitment to a market and its successful deployment of modern aircraft and innovative flight products, which have led to an increasing number of passengers and economical progress," said Joachim Steinbach, vice president of sales and services for Southeast Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Pakistan at the time.
Lufthansa's charter airline Condor, its joint venture SunExpress with Turkish Airlines, Lufthansa Cargo and its catering company are operating in Turkey today. It also opened a call center here. Altogether the company has nearly 1,000 employees in Turkey. As a founding member of the world's biggest airline grouping, the Star Alliance network, Lufthansa offers its customers convenient connections to more than 800 destinations with its partner airlines.
In the summer of 2009, Lufthansa will be flying to 206 destinations in 78 countries as compared with 207 destinations in 81 countries, a drop of 0.5 percent over the comparable period.