MAJOR EVENTS IN 2014
NBAA
Orlando, FL
October 21-23
BUSINESS BUZZ
Swissport International won a court victory on Sept. 23 in its fight to restore ownership rights in a Ukraine operation worth an estimated $25 million that it lost to its erstwhile partner Ukraine International Airlines. Ukraine’s highest commercial court nullified a general shareholders’ meeting held by Ukraine International Airlines that took place in April 2013. That meeting took place after Swissport had lost its 70.6 percent stake in the local joint venture with the nation’s flagship airliner in an earlier court ruling. Having subsequently rebranded the cargo handler from Swissport Ukraine to Interavia, the UIA gathering of shareholders voted to increase the company’s share capital by $1 million, significantly diluting whatever share Swissport could claim in the entity.
Verde GSE plans to add up to 14 employees to its workforce in the next five years, and projects sales of $13 million a year once production hits full swing. An article in The Bradenton Herald outlined how Rick Hansen, formerly of Hobart Ground Controls, and his fellow partners developed a new, more energy-efficienct PCA.
Menzies Aviation will cut 324 full- and part-time jobs at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport. The ground service provider said it would no longer provide services to international wide-body airline carriers at the airport as of Nov. 30.
Matheson Flight Extenders plans to hire 25 new part-time employees at its Billings Logan International Airport station and will add 25 more in the near future to cope with the holiday package shipping rush through Dec. 27.
Geneva-based FBO PrivatPort, affiliated to Swissport Executive Aviation, launched PrivatPort Munich, the newest base in the network – now embracing 79 stations – on Sept. 15. PrivatPort Munich, part of Swissport-Losch Munich, offers a full range of FBO services.
The nation's airlines posted $3.6 billion in profits in the April-through-June period, a 64% increase compared with the $2.2 billion in profits earned in the same period last year, according to new federal data. About a quarter of the $44.6 billion in revenues in the second quarter came from bag and other passenger fees, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
O'Hare International Airport is on pace to again be the world's busiest airport, a designation it lost a decade ago to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. From January to August of this year, 585,517 flights departed or landed at O'Hare, according to the FAA. However, Atlanta's airport was not far behind, at 582,138, or 0.6 percent fewer. Atlanta edged out O'Hare by 3 percent in 2013.
United Airlines will lay off about 100 workers at Port Columbus on Oct. 1 and transfer their union jobs to Airport Terminal Services.This is part of a larger series of United layoffs at 12 airports nationally as the airline attempts to cut costs and bolster its bottom line.
Denver International Airport is making efforts to reduce its carbon footprint. The airport said Wednesday that it signed on to the Airport Carbon Accreditation program, which requires airports to track and ultimately lower their carbon emissions. Airports Council International-Europe started the accreditation program in 2009, and it now includes more than 100 airports around the world.
Emirates SkyCargo, the freight division of Emirates, has launched an internally developed and cost effective LD3 container that keeps temperature sensitive cargo cool when transported on the ground and in the air. Called the “White Container”, it’s the latest addition to Emirates SkyCargo’s Cool Chain portfolio, and has been designed specifically as an intermediate temperature control solution which is ideal for generic healthcare products and food perishables.
DEALS
Meridian Regional Airport has been awarded the bid from SkyWest to operate all of the ground service functions for Meridian's new commercial air carrier, American Eagle, which includes ticket counter sales and baggage handling. American Eagle's first flight out of Meridian is Nov. 6.
Baltia Air Lines has signed a ground handling agreement with Swissport to handle its aircraft at JFK International Airport. In related news, the airline also signed a contract for fuel support services with World Fuel Services. World Fuel will plan, coordinate, source and purchase jet fuel to satisfy all of Baltia's needs. The airline is currently undergoing air carrier certification and will operate Boeing 747 aircraft across the Atlantic, from the U.S. to Europe.
Yingling Aviation bought the assets of aviation deicing company, ICT Aviation Services, to expand its offerings. Yingling will provide deicing and anti-icing services at Wichita Mid-Continent Airport. It has signed primary and secondary contracts with commercial airlines operating at that airport, and it will provide the services for other general aviation aircraft.
Worldwide Flight Services has won a 10-year contract with the option of a further five years to operate the new cargo terminal at Milan Malpensa Airport. The new building is expected to be completed in 2016 as part of the airport’s aims to increase capacity to 1 million tonnes of cargo a year by 2020. The facility will incorporate seven landside doors for trucks, a ramp for smaller vehicles, secure cages for valuable cargo and dangerous goods, and cool rooms for temperature-controlled shipments.
Bahrain Airport Services Co. has selected air transport IT specialist, SITA to automate staff rostering and allocation at Bahrain International Airport in a new five-year deal. SITA’s resource management system will help the ground handler achieve its objective by increasing the efficiency and productivity of its airport staff.
