Originally Posted by
Navpi
I would take a contrary view and say MAN should grasp every opportunity and every lifeline it can possibly get given the absolute dire financial circumstances we find ourselves in.
Another question, would our incumbent CEO Ms Smart even be aware of this development or is this strictly a negotiation between handler and airline. Are we suggesting that MAG MAN has effectively been bypassed and is totally unaware of this approach with no right of redress?
On that basis the fortunes of the airport are effectively governed by the effectivness of the handler. Is that not the case of the tale wagging a very big dog ?
That's an interesting question regarding the relationships between Airlines, Handling Agents and the Airport.
The Airport's Business Development people will be trying to attract new business from airlines, perhaps with incentives where permitted, as well as maintaining relationships with existing airlines. But on a day to day basis when flights are operating, it's the Handling Agent providing the service to the Airlines. As an outsider, I assume from the Airport's standpoint that the Handling Agent is a tenant under which certain standard of performance are required but I'm sure others will be more knowledgeable on this. It's been said in the past that airlines are the customers of the handling agents and the airport's customers are the passengers. Is that a bit too simplistic perhaps?
For ad hoc flights like the freighters mentioned, wouldn't the airline's initial contact be with the Airport and also with ACL? The choice of Handling Agent I imagine may be dependent on whether there is a contract with a particular Agent at other Airports.
Questions have arisen in the past on the old chestnut of when MAN has turned diversions away. Sometimes it has apparently been the Airport itself because of a lack of parking space for example. At other times, it appears to have been the Handling Agents who've refused extra traffic allegedly because of a lack of staff or work load with regular flights. One would like to think that whether it's diversions or requests for ad hoc flights, there is proper coordination and communication between Airport and Agent. In certain circumstances, it may be possible for an alternative Handling Agent to take the work depending on existing contract constraints. Whether the Airport would apply pressure on Agents to accept additional business is another question.