Goldair Handling Signs Strategic Alliance With German AeroGround

Greek Goldair Handling, a leading supplier of ground handling services, recently signed a strategic alliance agreement with German ground handling company AeroGround that covers a close cooperation in the field of marketing and sales at the airports that both ground handlers currently operate. AeroGround is 100 percent subsidiary of Flughafen München GmbH, the airport authority of Munich airport, the second largest airport in Germany.

“We are certain that this alliance will offer to the airlines (schedule, charter, cargo and executive aviation) comparative advantages in the field of service quality and competitive pricing,” the executive vice president of Goldair Handling, Kallinikos Kallinikos, said.

The concept of the alliance, entitled “Eurohandling,” is to be open for other local and regional ground handling companies to create a European Ground Handling network.

“We firmly believe that the alliance will soon welcome new members broadening the above advantages to more airports,” Mr. Kallinikos added.

Apart from the area of marketing and sales cooperation in the next steps the alliance will cover the also following sectors: information technology (IT), joint procurement of equipment, training and establishment of common operating procedures. The targets are to develop synergies through standardization and harmonization. Cooperation and coordination is ensured by working groups and permanent bi-lateral communication.

Goldair Handling operates in 26 Greek airports, 2 airports in Cyprus (Larnaca & Paphos) and 2 airports in Bulgaria (Sofia & Burgas) and currently employs 2,500 employees in Greece and 620 employees abroad. In 2012, 66.000 flights, 11 million passengers and 31,000 tons of cargo were handled.

AeroGround, together with its sister companies aerogate and Cargogate, in 2012 served more than 130,000 flights, 15 million passengers and 100,000 tons of cargo. The three handling companies in total employ 2,800 experienced professionals at Munich airport.

“We feel confident that our alliance with Goldair Handling contributes the increasing demand of our customers towards network and multi-station marketing & sales initiatives on the one side, but also reflects the airlines requirements for local experts, which are familiar with the specific circumstances and infrastructure at each airport on the other hand,” the CEO of AeroGround, Pasler Siegfried, said.