Ground Handlers in Europe

[Roberta_Chua]

Hi! I'm new to the aviation industry and am in need of a little help.

Does anyone know who are the ground handlers in CDG, FRA and MAD? And possibly which carriers they're serving?

Besides the EU Directive relating to ground handling services, are there any other rules and regulations that binds independent handlers from operating at any other airports in Europe?

Am seriously confused! :confused:

[aex]

Hi,
regarding your first question below is the situation:

MAD:
Swissport-Menzies
New-Co (owned by Spanair)
Groundforce Espana (owned by Air Europa, serves most Sky Team airlines)
Iberia

FRA:
Fraport Handling (owned by Fraport airport operator, biggest handling agent, serves Lufthansa and many more airlines)
Acciona Handling
Swissport

CDG:
This is the most complicated airport in the sense that officially the handling is limited to a number of operators per teminal. The problem is that the operators that have a licence sub-contract the services to operators that don't have one.
Below are the operators that have a licence to operate terminal by terminal:

Terminal 1:
Aeroports de Paris Handling
Air France
Globeground France

Terminal 2:
Aeroports de Paris Handling
Air France
Europe Handling

Terminal 3:
Aeroports de Paris Handling
Swissport France


However, Air France subcontracts ramp services to a number of operators that include:
Europe Handling
Worldwide Flight Services
Trac Piste
NB: Air France does provide ramp handling but mainly to its own aircrafts.

Aeroports de Paris Handling subcontracts ramp handling to: Alyzia Services (owned by Aeroports de Paris Handling) and passenger assistance is sub-contracted to Aviance France (owned by Aeroports de Paris Handling).

As far as I know in Terminal 3 Swissport France sub-contracts some services to an ADP Handling subsidiary (can't remember the name), I don't know if it's still the case now though.

There are other passenger services handlers, mainly Servisair France which has taken over the former BA staff at Paris CDG. BA uses Europe Handling for ramp handling though.

The bus transport is done by different companies, mainly Aircar. All Air France painted buses are actually owned and operated by Aircar.


Regarding the EU directive, this is what it mainly mentions:

All EU airports with more than 1 million passengers or 25 000 tons of freight must allow at least 2 airlines to self-handle.

All EU airport with more than 2 million passengers or 50 000 tons of freight must allow free third party handling. HOWEVER, the country can limit the number of third party handling agents to no fewer than 2.
BUT "at least one of the authorised suppliers must not be directly or indirectly controlled by (ie must be independent of):
- the managing body of the airport;
- any airport user which has carried more than 25% of passengers or freight recorded at the airport during the year preceding that in which those suppliers were selected;
- a body controlled directly or indirectly by that managing body or any such user".


I hope this helps.


You can find further information here:

http://www.aci-europe.org/upload/ec_ground_handling_final_report.pdf

[merlinxx]

Get yourself a copy of the IATA AGHM. Check International Air Transport Association (http://www.iata.org) under publications, USD340 for the printed version.