April 2013 In The News

April 17, 2013

GSE Events in 2013

April 24-26

GSE Buyers Conference

Lisbon, Portugal

May 5-8

IATA Ground Handling Conference

Vancouver, Canada

July 31-Aug. 1

ACI-NA Deicing Management Conference

Arlington, VA

Business Buzz

Tronair earns Product Leader Award: Tronair took home Ground Support Worldwide's Product Leader of the Year presented at last month's AviationPros LIVE, Las Vegas, NV. The company won  for the Softcapture™ feature on its Jetporter line. Read more about it in this month's cover story beginning on page 6.

SWA honors Premier ... again: For the second year in a row, Premier Engineering and Manufacturing was named Equipment Provider of the Year by Southwest Airlines' GSE department. The company's entire GSE staff nominates and then selects the winner based on criteria ranging from customer and parts support to training and warranty.

Swissport buys SAS unit: Swissport International Ltd. and Scandinavian Airline Systems announced an agreeement aimed at transferring full ownership of SAS ground handling in Denmark, Sweden and Norway to Swissport. In other company news, Swissport was voted the best cargo handler in Africa for the second time in a row by readers of The STAT Trade Times.

Cavotec to supply A380 MRO Center: Cavotec secured a contract to supply, install and commission in-ground pop-up utility pits and preconditioned air units for four new A380 line maintenance hangars at Emirates Engineering Center stationed at DXB.

ATS begins using bio-based deicer: Airport Terminal Services began deicing aircraft with Kilfrost DFSustain deicing fluid at STL, the first airport in the United States to use the bio-based fluid. ATS currently deices approximately 30 percent of STL's commercial aircraft traffic.

Delta renovates ground control center: Delta Air Lines completed a $3.5 million renovation of its Ground Control Center at MSP. A significant aspect of the control room renovation was the installation of ergonomically designed control room consoles to house the new computers, monitors, intercoms and radio equipment.

New Deals

Spirit to retrofit GSE: Spirit Airlines has purchased 21 Corvus Energy CorPower lithium electric GSE retrofit kits to convert its entire fleet of baggage tractors at its Fort Lauderdale, FL, operations. Spirit estimates a fuel reduction savings of 25,000 gallons of gasoline per year, resulting in reduction of greenhouse gasses by an estimated 243 tons of carbon.

WheelTug announces agreements: WheelTug plc announced slot purchase agreements with Corendon Airlines and another undisclosed Boeing 737 NG operator. With 135 new reservations the backlog of WheelTug® Aircraft Drive Systems system grows to nearly 450 delivery slots already reserved by eight airlines with many others currently under discussions.

EPIC partners with NATA: The National Air Transportation Association announced that EPIC has chosen to partner with NATA Safety 1st to provide training to its branded FBOs. EPIC and UVair FBO Network locations will receive comprehensive training in an easy to administer, self-paced and self-directed online platform through NATA Safety 1st.

Checking in on checked bags: US Airways allows passengers to track the status of checked baggage in real time at baggagetracker.usairways.com on all its U.S. flights. Delta Air Lines was the first airliner to effectively give passengers the ability to track luggage as the airline staff has.

SWA starts running new TV commercial: Southwest Airlines kicked off a new television advertising campaign that promotes improvements that inlcude its Rapid Rewards program, inflight WiFi, Live TV, Evolve cabins and new 737-800 aircraft.

People In The News

Bill Biermann, who retired from Charlatte of America last December after working more than six decades in the aviation industry won Ground Support Worldwide's Lifetime Achievement Award at last month's AviationPros LIVE, Las Vegas, NV. Biermann began his career in 1951 as a field agent for Pan American World Airways. Years later, he implemented a program in 1979 for the operation of 600 electric bag tractors for Eastern Airlines. Ultimately, Biermann wrapped up his long career at Charlatte from 1995 to his retirement. Read more about Bill in our June/July issue.

Travis Blair, managing director, ground support/adminstration for American Eagle Airlines, was also on hand that night to receive our Team Leader of the Year award. Blair has been an industry leader for the past 15 years maintaining ramp equipment. Read more about Travis in our May issue.

Marcela Gaboda was appointed CEO Swissport Argentina. Gaboda has 20 years of experience in management in various capacities in the aviation industry. She started her career at Intercargo, an Argentinean ground handling company and went on to operate her own FBO company providing services in Argentina.

Juan Carlos Garcia was appointed general manager for Swissport Cargo Services in Spain. He brings more than 25 years of managerial experience from various industries to the role. His last position with Swissport was passenger services airport manager at MAD.