Groundforce recently won seven licenses to provide ground handling services in the Spanish market and, through Groundforce Portugal, it also signed new contracts in Portugal with Croatia Airlines and TACV Cargo and renewed contracts with British Airways, British Airways World Cargo and TACV.
After the official communication on behalf of AENA, regarding the handling licenses tender for Spanish Airports, the results show that Groundforce has come out in one of the top positions, with the following airports: Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao, Seville, Gran Canaria, Tenerife Norte and Tenerife Sur.
Along with its 7 new licences, it has been the only company to obtain the two main airports, Madrid and Barcelona, this last one already gained before the previous tender. In addition, Groundforce has maintained the airports previously held in Bilbao, Seville and Gran Canaria, and furthermore for the first time ever has extended its services in the terminals of Tenerife Sur y Tenerife Norte.
The contract renewed with British Airways, valid until the 31st of August 2007, is for the Portuguese company belonging to the Group, to provide full handling services in Porto and Faro airports, and ramp handling in Lisbon. In turn, the contract celebrated with British Airways World Cargo covers Groundforce’s handling services until the 31st of August 2008 at Lisbon and Porto airports. In 2006 British Airways expects to perform around 1,500 movements to Portugal with an average of four flights per day to Lisbon airport and one cargo flight per week to Porto airport, operating with a B747 Freighter.
A contract was also renewed between TACV – Transportes Aéreos de Cabo Verde and Groundforce in Portugal, valid until the 28th of February 2009, which allows for the provision of full handling services in the airports at Lisbon, Porto and Faro. For the same period and in the same airports, under the contract now signed, Groundforce will also provide assistance to TACV Cargo.
A new contract was established with Croatia Airlines for the provision of full handling services by Groundforce in the airports at Lisbon, Porto, Faro, Funchal and Porto Santo, until the 31st of May 2008. Croatia Airlines already has flights planned for Lisbon and Porto in the period between August and October this year, operating with A319 and A320 aeroplanes. The airline also acknowledges the possibility that it may operate two flights a week to Lisbon and one to Porto in the near future.
News stories provided by third parties are not edited by "Site Publication" staff. For suggestions and comments, please click the Contact link at the bottom of this page.
