Aviator financial difficulties

[number1delta]

sad news coming from ex collegues that Aviator have announced they are in financial difficulty. I took my redundancy at the start of the year and to be honest things were not looking that bad then and they were coping ok.

anyone know what has happened since?

[The96er]

Sounds like they've over stretched themselves and agreed to take on contracts at silly prices in order to gain market share.

[strawberry Ribena]

Gatwick airport have been paying aviator staff for a few months now. Never a good sign

[cjhants]

SR - I had heard this rumour about GAL paying wages to avoid another "Swissport situation" of a couple of summers ago, and that this was just designed to get the airport through the summer holiday period.
I was surprised, if it is true, that this was legally allowed, and that the other handlers at LGW would not be shouting "foul".
I have also heard that Swissport may be returning to LGW.

[kasuga]

It may be just a coincidence that Airline Services senior management visited BHX last week

[ncl2011]

Aviator are now financially secure. At least for another year.

Has this been confirmed/by whom?

[number1delta]

Sad news for Aviator staff. The days of handling being a secure job are long gone.

[750XL]

Aviator are to leave the UK by the end of November

[The96er]

Reported on another forum that PWC are to assume temporary management control of the U.K division.
Could the remaining handling agents absorb that much work at short notice. Me thinks not.

[Habana2118]

OMG !!! Wow LGW needs another agent to at least take in some of that work! Can't see Dnata playing the 'Undercut everyone for market share gains' game that's for sure!

[JennyB]

Heard rumours of dnata having to have BA and Virgin.

Airline Services i'd assume take on most of the bulk? Menzies cant have more surely.

Didn't you say that Aviator were finacially secure for at least the next year?

[number1delta]

Friends at BHX tell me that Airlines services and Dnata are bidding for the workload. So majority of staff will tupe transfer.

[mulag]

Tupe transfer only comes into force after 2 years, and Aviator haven't been at Man for 2 years

[Jetaway]

Menzies are going for the DY and SK contract plus they will have obtained all the ASIG contracts which is soon to include TK and SN due to WFS leaving MAN

[number1delta]

From what I can gather same at BHX. Not only top heavy but also very weak management in place locally.

[Rampmole]

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/business/job-loss-fears-one-countrys-8993647

[urdy gurdy]

LGW is a money pit for ground handling companies. Watched swissport struggling there and now Aviator.
Aviator seem quite happy to save their 'Nordic Region' and dump the UK, which I'm less than impressed with. Looks like I'll be losing my job at the end of November. I don't even work at LGW but it keeps being a strain on other stations.
The only info we've got is that they are pulling out of the UK at the end of November.

[number1delta]

Looks like Airline Services taking over at BHX. At least it saves jobs.

[cjhants]

T250
There were 2 parts to Aviator`s history at LGW.
1. They took over Servisair`s LGW business following SP take over of SA under competition rules, about 2-3 years ago.
2. They took BA from SP this time last year, and SP decided to close at LGW.

I agree, it is not clear what is happening to the Company, there was some suggestion of a large firm of accountants running it down, but they did not exactly say it was going into administration.

[tickerdboo]

When I heard about this it made my day......

[ncl2011]

Hi everyone.
If Aviator were to end all UK ops would a replacement handling company have to be operational at their bases before they could go? Im just thinking of smaller airports where aviator may be one of only two ground handling companies.

[7Three7Specialist]

Baggage carrier firm Aviator pulls out of major UK airports including Gatwick | Daily Mail Online (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3850572/Travel-hell-feared-Christmas-fliers-baggage-carrier-firm-pulls-four-UK-airports-including-Gatwick.html)

[number1delta]

When I heard about this it made my day......
It made my day also as finally they might get rid of the weak management in place and also the 'clicks'

at the same time a bit sad for my ex colleagues who still work there and have been threw this many times.

[ncl2011]

Does anyone know who is taking over the aviator contract at newcastle and when??

[tickerdboo]

I can count on my left hand the amount of people I meet at the Aviator I would call decent people. The rest were self centered who were only ever out for them self's.

[Dropline]

Thank you for your kind words tickerdboo. There are around 1700 employees at Aviator in the UK and many of us are facing the very real prospect of losing our jobs just before Christmas, and through no fault of our own. Ultimately the decision to buy Swissport at Gatwick was a poor one, and now the UK staff are paying a very heavy price. I have almost 20 years service at Aviator (formerly Servisair) and the vast majority of my colleagues are decent, hardworking people who love working in Aviation. At a time like this we need solidarity and support not vitriol and abuse. I don't deserve to lose my job like this, and nor do my friends and colleagues. Please think before you post.

[Holdmikepapa]

I worked for Groundstar then Swissport until 2014. I left as I didn't agree with how things were being run by the management. I'm absolutely dumbstruck with what's happening, even more so as I learn that Swissport international are making a comeback to LGW.. their handling license was never revoked. They couldn't make the necessary savings in order to build a more profitable LGW.. so they sold out to aviator who up until then was a profitable company.. the people who were responsible for this have long sailed away to the deserts of Abu Dhabi , Dubai, some have even gone to work for Gatwick airport themselves.. all I feel is those of my friends and former colleagues who until this day carry out their job to the best of their abilities despite the difficult circumstances that may arise soon. Crazy to think that no criminal proceedings can be bought against those responsible, all the best to everyone there.

[Out Of Trim]

I wish the Aviator staff all the very best of luck going forward.

I'm not looking forward to December! There is so little time to reorganise the airline contracts and staffing of handling agents. I think this Christmas may be a little messy. :hmm: Even if there is no weather disruption.

[number1delta]

Whats the latest from BHX? Have staff now been selected for redundancy?

[tickerdboo]

Whats the latest from BHX? Have staff now been selected for redundancy?
It will be every manager for them self's. ....funny how certain people who showed no interest in dispatching or learning how to do airbridges are all of a sudden selling them self's as a team player.......staff of Aviator why are you putting up with this..?

[Dropline]

Consultation for both TUPE and potential redundancies started on 14th October.


Many staff still not on a TUPE list. Communication from above has been very poor. Unfortunately it seems to be every man for himself at the moment, and many smaller airlines have yet to find an alternative ground handler.

[cjhants]

T250

If you look at reply #10, it looks as if PWC have been in as quasi-administrators (and no doubt earning a tidy fee) and at the end of the month the staff and creditors are going to get shafted. Or am I missing something?

[number1delta]

From the sounds of it sounds like any wages/redundancies etc due after 28th November will not be getting paid as the insolvency process takes a few days and once activated all payments go onto hold.

[ncl2011]

Aviator on track to end uk ops by end of November with the exception of Manchester which they will continue to operate. Does anyone know whats so profitable about Manchester?

[Habana2118]

And who is taking their place in BHX and NCL?

[7Three7Specialist]

Think Man only handles like 3 airlines?

[ncl2011]

:mad::ugh:

:=

LGW is certainly not on track to end ops by end of November, so much so some staff have been asked to stay till mid-December till the last of the scraps have been cleared away to other handlers :confused:

Only commenting on what was written on the aviator website! Hope those involved find jobs with other handlers

[ncl2011]

And who is taking their place in BHX and NCL?

Id love to know if you find out

[International drive]

Only two handling agents at NCL -Swissport and Aviator. Swissport have signed up all but one of Aviator's contracts at NCL (except BA- talks ongoing) BMI-FlyBe-EasyJet all transferred! Swissport will have the monopoly if they sign BA ! They (Swissport)were prevented from taking over Servisair at NCL last year because they would have the monopoly which was supposedly not allowed! Funny how the company is closing down and Swissport are suddenly allowed to basically have the monopoly once BA have signed as no other handling agent has replaced them!

[ncl2011]

I wonder if swissport have been allowed to take over the ncl handling contracts on an emergency short term basis? Could other handling agents bid for the contracts with airlines, if swissport are made to break up their apparent monopoly?

[wools]

All airports wish competition in the Ground Handling sector.
I am sure that other GHA's have looked at NCL/BHX and said no thanks. That does not mean in the future there will not be competition.
The days when GHA's would come in to handle one customer are now very rare unless it has a significant volume. i.e MAN TCX or its own group Airline i.e EK/Dnata.

Hopefully for the GHA's it may be a jolt to Airlines that service providers have to a reasonable return or it is just not worth taking a risk.

[number1delta]

Just been reading a thread on FB regarding BHX. Apparently management are keeping everything very hush hush and made it clear to staff that they will not be around after 30 november regardless of what the situation is with staff. they have now resorted to not even speaking to staff at all. absolutely disgusting behaviour with christmas coming up.

[CCGE29]

Apparently Aviator are now staying at MAN. Can anyone confirm this?

[The96er]

Aviator are staying at MAN and will be called Aviator Nordic. Not sure why the change of heart though. Rumors abound that Man Airport have had some influence fearing the dominance of Menzies and Swissport.

[Habana2118]

Is Airline Services not trying to get into ground handling at MAN?

[7Three7Specialist]

Aviator MAN / Nordic was the only one making money.

[number1delta]

Some things never change. just heard that aviator bhx managers tried to rig the lists to get their friends transferred. that has always been the biggest problem at the airport and probably common at most airports. if your face fits.............why cant we just do things in a fair way

[JamesKirk]

This is my first post for a number of years & has come about because of the comments made by a pprune member who has NO involvement since they were themselves made redundant at the end of 2015, he has a grudge against those who were in charge at the time of his redundancy & this shows in his posts.
1) the BHX managers have not stopped talking to the staff, realistically they are as much in the dark as the staff themselves and unless there is a full TUPE will all be redundant.
2) It was not the Managers who tried to rig any TUPE lists, in fact that was done by the workers own reps to ensure their partners were taken on by Swissport.

This Supposed pull out by Aviator has been handled poorly from day 1 with little or no information passed to any of the bases, late/wrong lists passed to swissport by HQ which in turn delayed everything so that there are now 4 full days left & only a fraction of BHX staff have been transferred over, NCL are still awaiting the fate of BA & LGW only have a couple of small contracts left (if the Comms emails are to be believed).
Aviators reputation is in the toilet and unfortunately for those at MAN I can see them getting no further contracts & will be closed within 2/3 years (less if aviator SWE folds as some suspect), this is a difficult time for all those effected and not helped by uninformed comments by someone whose knowledge is gleaned from social media.
Nuff Said!!:mad::mad::mad:

[number1delta]

This is my first post for a number of years & has come about because of the comments made by a pprune member who has NO involvement since they were themselves made redundant at the end of 2015, he has a grudge against those who were in charge at the time of his redundancy & this shows in his posts.
1) the BHX managers have not stopped talking to the staff, realistically they are as much in the dark as the staff themselves and unless there is a full TUPE will all be redundant.
2) It was not the Managers who tried to rig any TUPE lists, in fact that was done by the workers own reps to ensure their partners were taken on by Swissport.

This Supposed pull out by Aviator has been handled poorly from day 1 with little or no information passed to any of the bases, late/wrong lists passed to swissport by HQ which in turn delayed everything so that there are now 4 full days left & only a fraction of BHX staff have been transferred over, NCL are still awaiting the fate of BA & LGW only have a couple of small contracts left (if the Comms emails are to be believed).
Aviators reputation is in the toilet and unfortunately for those at MAN I can see them getting no further contracts & will be closed within 2/3 years (less if aviator SWE folds as some suspect), this is a difficult time for all those effected and not helped by uninformed comments by someone whose knowledge is gleaned from social media.
Nuff Said!!:mad::mad::mad:
Jameskirk, why dont you use your proper name so everyone knows who you are? #theking

Just out of interest how did you get your position? Definitely wasnt down to capability. Its because of people like you that Aviator is now in this position.

#familyandfriendsscheme

[tickerdboo]

I'm in agreement with number1delta on this issue, but can't for tea life of me understand why the staff have put up with this and offered no fight back to it. The union there is a joke headed by people only out for them self's. The Management is weak made up by unqualified children and the whole station was held up by idiots who don't know the meaning of a fair days work for a fair days pay.....