I thought that WAS the business model! PIK Handling no longer have the experience that was carried through from Scottish Express, SkyCare and Ogden Aviation. The men who excelled at keeping the PIK name alive have retired and moved on. PIK Handling now is essentially Ryanair Prestwick on the passenger side and Cargo Handling on Apron B. They cannot have the flexibility and nuanced approach that a specialist FBO brings to the table, particularly given the dearth of experience and talent that they currently employ.

Changed days!

Can someone please point me in the direction of the recruitment?

Its not for me, but I know someone who could be perfect for the role

Thanks in advance

At least there will be no more fisticuffs on Golf over who gets what aircraft :}

pik own the greer offices, the tender winners will only be allowed to handle aircraft under 35 tonnes and c130s, pik handling will move into the vacant building, invest in new equipment or buy existing equipment. antanovs and can airforce will be handled by pik. dedicated crews split up into squads, apron alpha, bravo, and foxtrot, golf and hotel squads. very competent workers with afs multiskilling on ryanairs

Apron alpha, god knows where you get this info from, I'd love to know. You are saying that after 3 rounds of redundancies in the last 3 years and no new business to speak of (apart from Canadian Air Force) that all of a sudden PIK will employ new staff, relocate a whole department with teams for each individual apron and spend money on new equipment!!

If this was for the good of Prestwick Airport then fine, but to be honest it sounds like a disaster. PIK Handling has an abismal record for losing traffic

apron alpha you say So , if Greer win the match, PIK handling will move into the Ocean Sky building ?

I was brought up on a diet of CanForce CC130s (with the occasional CC-144 and Buffalo !) parking on the main apron....handled by Air Canada ! Having said that PIK did well for a number of years but they were good multi taskers when they had to be looking after a variety of clients to survive. These days they are the self handling department of Ryanair and EVERYTHING else righty comes a distant second. Hence the CFC handling went to Greer back in 2002 or thereabouts.

I also thought that the European Single Market meant that the Airport Operator was no longer able to dictate terms as to what Handlers could bid for what work. Isn't that illegal under anti competitive law? Like KLM not being sole handler at Schiphol or Lufthansa at Frankfurt with both airports being forced to allow in Menzies and the like. How can PIK dictate what minor titbits the competing handlers are allowed to bid for and favour it's own in house subsidiary? Or does EU legislation not apply in darkest Ayrshire?

PS I'm allowed to slag off the county as I was born there...

my son works at pik, my best friend works in atc. My info is good. Watch this space, 7 or 8 based summer aircraft. Restructuring of handling and security. Afs continue 2 multi skill. Any aircraft over 35 tonne pik handle it except c130s. Thats what the new deal for either greer or ocean sky get.

Theres so much i could say on this but i stick to my original post. Oceansky and Greer have been good for Prestwick,i think PIK should be putting efforts into getting somebody for Polar hanger its a total disgrace that B747 hanger lying empty

PS Im a south ayrshire man hence the username:ok:

A friend in ATC won't help you. In the 'Ivory Tower' we are always the last to know and we don't have any friends :}

Apron Alpha - If you keep this up, your son will loose his job for making public privileged information

... Just to be absolutely clear. EITHER Greer or Ocean 'pie in the Sky' will be leaving PIK by MAR 2011 ... Is this a genuine assumption of the state of affairs at PIK?

Can PIK mis-HANDLING just step in and decide to look after the big boys when the come in, leaving the smaller stuff to who ever is left?

OceanSky invested heavily in a new facility recently, so does that mean they have a lengthly agreement with PIK, to secure a 'return' on their investment. In other words, does this investment secure Oceansky at PIK, leaving Greer out in the cold...

What is the criteria anyway? PIK plus A.N.Other handler? Who decides who stays and who goes?

This is all very cloak and dagger and not good for PIK.

Greer are a very strong, independant family run company, and Oceansky are part of a massive group of companies. Samson and Goliath?

The outcome will be interesting to say the least.

Never mind fair, is it anti-competitve and therefore illegal?

i just hope the place picks up and prospers, i loved watching the aircraft from various locations, like yourself skip

No,it isn't.
The CAA has powers under the Airports (Groundhandling) Regulations 1997, which implemented the European directive on access to the groundhandling market at Community airports.
Airports with over 2 million passengers a year cannot limit the number of self handlers or third party suppliers of ground handling services without permission from the CAA. Airports can apply to the CAA for the number of suppliers or self-handlers to be limited.
PIK's numbers have fallen below this, so it's not applicable ; therefore, by deduction, the management can do as they like.

thats correct

Thanks guys I'll have a look at the detail.

Are M'learned friends sure? We're not really talking about passenger handling here are we? C-130s transitting to war zones etc etc.

They most certainly cannot, they need to be confident that they won't face a challenge in the courts. Forcing out a trading business to replace it with one of your own is interesting. Better hope Greer doesn't think he's got a case against PIK on the definition of "passengers".

The bottom line is they want to get in on the buisness that 2 FBOs have built up over the years PIK Handling could have got it but you need to know what youre doing so they want to to take it and you can betO/Sky or Greer will take it else where with them like i said:ugh:As for CAF dont get too excited A310s/C17s are over daily and they aint falling over themselves to come in unless as an avid PIK spotter i missed them as stealth:rolleyes:

I remember on at least two occasions working in the tower at PIK and getting endless complaints from Lufthansa Cargo MD11 pilots as there was no one to handle them due lack of ground staff.
Not long after that Lufthansa pulled out of PIK. Hope they have improved since then!
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