In continuation with the tender for the handling licenses in Spain, please see below the following two pieces of news which might be of your interest:
Menzies aims to become one of the 3 main handling operators in Spain
Europa Press informs that Menzies will place bids to become one of the three main handling operators in Spain.
They aim to get the ramp handling licences for, at least, one of the 3 groups in which the 24 smaller airports have been spread. Each group would have an overall passenger volume by 3 million and they will be the first invitation to tender. Afterwards, there will be another tender for 5 big airports (Madrid, Barcelona, Málaga, Alicante and Palma) and those airports with over 1 million passengers a year.
Currently Menzies operates in Alicante, Murcia, Almería and Jerez as well as in Barcelona where they have recently been awarded with the license for general aviation. They also offer handling supervision in Asturias, Santiago de Compostela, Barcelona, Palma, Ibiza, Sevilla, Málaga, Tenerife and Alicante.
Invest in Spain
Menzies is not concerned by the Aena Aeropuertos privatisation since “no matter who owns the airports they will require handling services”. From now to 2020, they aim to double the size of the company by outsourcing the airport services, acquisitions, purchases and bids to grow in handling where the Aena’s tender is a “key project”.
Handling licenses do no guarantee contracts
Aena has proposed a significant decrease in the handling rates. They establish the maximum prices, but they usually are over the actual prices that the operators charge to the airlines. With this decrease Aena would seek to match the actual prices and to put them on the same level as the charges in the rest of Europe.
Handlng licenses do not guarantee either contracts or incomes. These depend on the operators and their ability to negotiate and offer discounts.
Fight for Barcelona
In other news, Preferente.com informed last Thursday that Groundforce intends to place bids not only for the 6 airports where they already operate, but also for some others where a business is possible.
Iberia has insisted on the fact that they will place bids only for those airports where the profitability is, at least, 10%. Considering that this margin hardly exists in the Spanish airports and the good behaviour of Barcelona airport they foresee a big fight for the Barcelona Handling licenses.
Iberia lost Barcelona in the last tender, but the big problems with their staff ended up forcing an agreement with Globalia. However, this agreement might reach an end.
According to Preferente.com Globalia, who currently operates in Barcelona through Groundforce, will fight for Barcelona. Apart from Barcelona, they also operate in Madrid, both Tenerife airports, Gran Canaria, Sevilla and Bilbao.
Many companies want to leave the airports which are not profitable, but Groundfore will go for the ones they hold and they will try to improve wherever possible.
Apparently Barcelona is desired by everyone. Also by Swissport.
Other companies fear them because they work in the Spanish airports on too low rates. Prices which are under the costs.
Also Iberia is known lately by reducing prices to get clients. In any case the options for Globalia, bearing the current restructuring in Iberia, have increased not only in Barcelona, but in the other 37 airports where Iberia is currently based as well.
