Business Buzz
¦ SATS opens new handling center in Singapore: Coolport@Changi (Coolport), Asia’s newest on-airport perishable handling center, has officially opened in Singapore. Built at a cost of S$16.5 million, Coolport is the first dedicated on-airport facility in Singapore for handling of import, export and transit perishable cargo. Located within the Free Trade Zone, it has an annual handling capacity of 250,000 tons, with scope for expansion from the current 8,000 square meters to 14,000 square meters. With multi-tiered temperature zones ranging from -28C to 19C, Coolport is designed to handle a wide range of fresh produce including chilled meat, live seafood and fresh flowers.
¦ ASIG® receives environmental award: The handler announced that its jet fuel facility operation located at Denver International Airport (DEN) has been presented the 24-Karat Gold Challenge Award by Gov. Bill Ritter, Jr., for its commitment to sustainable environmental stewardship and environmental excellence. In 2009, ASIG achieved Gold Leader Status in Colorado’s Environmental Leadership Program (ELP). The award is presented to a Gold Level member that demonstrates precedence in Colorado’s environmental arena by making significant achievements through their environmental commitments and actions. ASIG’s peers in the Gold Level program voted ASIG as the recipient for this year’s 24-Karat Gold Challenge Award based on their participation with Denver International Airport in an energy savings project of which a key component was the construction of the first solar-powered fuel facility in the United States.
¦ NACCO Adds More Than 400 Jobs for Lift Truck Facilities: NACCO Materials Handling Group Inc., the makers of Yale® and Hyster® lift trucks, has announced the addition of 401 workers for the company’s Sulligent, Ala., Berea, Ky., Ramos Arizpe, Mexico, and Greenville, N.C., lift truck manufacturing facilities.
Partnerships/Acquisitions/Contracts
¦ ATS announces contracts in Calgary, Dallas/Fort Worth, Edmonton and West Palm Beach: Cargojet awarded ATS a multi-year contract to provide ramp handling of their B767F and B727F freighters. ATS also announced that it commenced passenger services on behalf of Lufthansa German Airlines in Terminal D of Dallas/Ft. Worth International Airport. Lufthansa operates daily widebody service to Frankfurt from DFW. In another announcement, United transitioned their full passenger service and ground handling to ATS at Edmonton International Airport. United Express operates more than 200 flights per month in YEG. Air Canada has also awarded the ATS team at Palm Beach International Airport with a full passenger service and ground handling contract.
¦ Swissport International announces new ownership: PAI partners, a Europe-based private equity group, is acquiring the company in full from its present owner, Ferrovial. The acquisition confirms PAI partners’ interest in the growing aviation sector. The sale will have no impact on Swissport’s current clients or its personnel, and the present management team will also remain unchanged. The closing of the transaction is expected in the course of December or beginning of 2011.
¦ SATS Ltd. purchases TFK Corp: SATS Ltd.’s wholly owned subsidiary, SATS Investments Pte Ltd., has entered into an agreement to purchase Japan Airlines International Co. Ltd’s (JALI) entire stake of 50.7 percent in TFK Corporation (TFK) for ¥7.8 billion (approximately S$122 million). The acquisition is targeted to complete by December 2010, subject to customary closing conditions.
¦ Gate Gourmet acquires majority interest in Skygourmet: Gate Gourmet, a member of gategroup, announced a joint venture agreement with India Hospitality Corp. (IHC) to acquire a majority interest in Skygourmet, a leading airline caterer in India with a presence in seven major cities. For gategroup, this transaction is a major move into the Asian market and a strategic breakthrough into the world’s second-fastest growing economy where airline traffic recently has been increasing at an average of about 20 percent. gategroup has acquired a 74-percent interest in Skygourmet and the consideration is a combination of cash and assumption of debt. IHC, the parent company of Skygourmet, will retain a 26-percent interest.
¦ Bangkok Flight Services announces handling of inaugural flight of A330-200F in Thailand: Hong Kong Airlines cargo flight HX 9131 with aircraft type A330-200F arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport, which was the first time for the type of aircraft to arrive at BKK, according to the handler. BFS provided ground and cargo handling services for the flight.
¦ Menzies announces new contracts: Germanwings has awarded Menzies a deicing contract commencing winter 2011 at its Stockholm station. In addition, Germanwings agreed to extend a ground handling contract with Menzies until May 2013. The company also announced it is providing full cargo handling, warehousing services and office space for MOL logistics at Amsterdam airport for a period of three years. In an additional announcement, Menzies has also become the lounge provider for Malev Hungarian Airlines in Amsterdam for a period of three years.
¦ Swissport UK announces new service agreements: The organization has concluded new service agreements with several airlines. Swissport UK has added airline customers such as Eastern Airways, Pakistan International Airlines, Air Baltic and Armavia to its portfolio. The unit has also further strengthened its partnerships with Monarch Airlines (in a new five-year, two-station agreement) and Emirates (in a three-year extension for Newcastle Airport). The new accords cover about 15,000 flights a year.
¦ Safegate announces contract with American Airlines: Earlier this year, Safegate was awarded a contract by American Airlines to install its Safedock advanced visual docking guidance system (A-VDGS) on 30 mainline gates at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. Completed recently, the O’Hare installation represents the fourth of four major American Airlines hubs to employ the Safegate technology. Safedock systems were installed at the airline’s other major hubs in Dallas/Ft. Worth, Miami and New York.
¦ Glidepath wins contract for new baggage system at Amarillo airport: As a key component of the airport’s $52 million terminal renovation program, the new in-line baggage system will include multiple units of the latest explosive detection system equipment supplied by the Transportation Security Administration. The construction schedule calls for on-site work to commence in January in order to meet the scheduled opening of the new terminal building in May 2011.
¦ INET Airport Systems announces new project: INET has been awarded a project to furnish and install new 400Hz and pre-conditioned air equipment on 32 gates at the Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida. The new equipment will provide the ground power (90Kva) and conditioned air (60Ton) to aircraft parked at the gate, thereby limiting the use of the on-board auxiliary power units (APUs).
People in the News
Dany Nasr
Swissport International has announced the appointment of Dany Nasr as the new chief financial officer (CFO) of its Swissport Americas region, reporting to Richard van Bruygom, EVP ground handling Americas. In his new capacity, Dany Nasr will bear overall responsibility for all financial aspects of Swissport’s activities in the region, which extends to more than 90 stations in North, Central and South America. He will assume his new duties from January 2011. Nasr joined Swissport in 2007.
John Mason
Banyan Air Service, based at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (FXE), recently announced the appointment of John Mason as director of FBO services. John has more than 20 years of aviation experience and previously held positions with Jet Aviation in West Palm Beach, and most recently at Orion Jet Center at Opa Locka, Florida. In his new role, John is responsible for the leadership, organization and management of Banyan’s customer support and line service teams, along with exploring opportunities for Banyan to grow on other airports.
Debra Guinand
Douglas Battery has announced the signing of Debra Guinand of Triton Technologies LLC as aviation sales representative. Debra has held various marketing, sales, procurement, training and strategic planning positions within the aviation ground support equipment industry. Debra brings to Douglas more than 28 years working for both airlines and OEMs within the industry. Douglas Battery has been manufacturing lead-acid, industrial type batteries since the 1940s and offers a full line of batteries and chargers to several industries, including GSE, material handling and mining.
