Britair From United Kingdom, joined Aug 1999, 926 posts, RR: 14 Posted (1 year 5 months 3 weeks 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 1827 times:
From ba.com today:
British Airways is in exclusive talks to transfer its ground handling operation at Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Manchester airports to Aviance UK, an independent ground handling company.
This follows an extensive review of the airline's UK regional ground handling operation. British Airways already uses a third party to undertake ground handling at Newcastle airport and at the majority of airports around the world.
Ground handling at London Heathrow and London Gatwick airports is unaffected.
Staff at the regional airports work for British Airways and provide ground handling for the airline's subsidiary BA Connect and other third party airlines. The sale of the regional business of BA Connect to Flybe, completed today (March 1), reduces ground handling by more than 40 per cent.
If a contract is placed with Aviance UK, around 730 staff will be affected and a 90 day consultation has started with their trade unions. Staff will be able to transfer, should they choose, under Transfer of Undertakings and Protection of Employment (TUPE) regulations to Aviance UK. Alternatively, they can be redeployed within British Airways or take voluntary severance.
British Airways' director of ground operations, Geoff Want, said: "Our review has shown that we can no longer sustain inhouse ground handling at these airports. We need a cost effective, flexible operation."
British Airways will continue to operate 54 return flights a day between Scotland and London and 16 return flights a day between Manchester and London.
In addition, the sale of BA Connect means that 250 staff at Birmingham airport, who handle only BA Connect and third parties' flights, have the option to transfer to Swissport, Flybe's ground handling company. At Inverness, 21 staff can transfer to Loganair's ground handling company. Staff at both airports can be redeployed within British Airways or take voluntary severance.
ends
March 5, 2007
"The BA Way: Service that matters for people who value how they fly"
Cornish From United Kingdom (England), joined Feb 2005, 7867 posts, RR: 52 Reply 1, posted (1 year 5 months 3 weeks 5 days 4 hours ago) and read 1332 times:
No surprise at all. It was always a possibility even before the BA connect sale. Once that was going to happen, then the outsourcing of ground handling made complete sense. Just like any other business, BA obviously feel they can save money from a compeitive tender on a service they don't NEED to operate. Hopefully they get a reliable one too....
Just when I thought I could see light at the end of the tunnel, it was some B*****d with a torch bringing me more work
UK_Dispatcher From United Kingdom, joined Dec 2001, 2023 posts, RR: 17 Reply 2, posted (1 year 5 months 3 weeks 5 days 3 hours ago) and read 1302 times:
I am not entirely surprised by this - it will certainly save BA some money. However, having been on the recieving end of this type of sale in the past I feel for the affected BA staff.
BD took the same decision during the James Hogan days in 2001. Aviance was actually formed through this sell-off as a result of GHI (Gatwick Handling) taking over British Midland's operations at LGW/MME/LBA/ABZ/JER (plus ramp at all self-handling stations) as well as acquiring MAS (Midland Airport Services) - a handling agent owned by Sir Michael Bishop with operations at BHX/EDI/GLA/CWL/SOU. It is interesting to see that Aviance are now likely to get the BA contract. At least they have experience in how to handle this kind of acquisition through their experience with BD.
Quoting Britair (Thread starter): British Airways already uses a third party to undertake ground handling at Newcastle airport and at the majority of airports around the world.
That would be Swissport - formerly Groundstar - formerly Northeast Aviation Services. I beleive Northeast was formed in the 1980s by a group of ex-BA NCL staff. Does anyone know why BA outsourced their handling at NCL all those years ago?
Lite From , joined today!, posts, RR: Reply 3, posted (1 year 5 months 3 weeks 5 days 2 hours ago) and read 1240 times:
I'm surprised that British Airways hadn't considered giving these contracts to either Swissport UK (who are flybe's preferred handling agent in a number of stations, as well as British Airways in Newcastle) or Penauille Servisair, for whom BA are one of the largest customers according to a recent edition of our newsletter "Take Off." I didn't know BA had much to do with Aviance, so they must have offered a very attractive package, but do know that Aviance offer a very professional service for a GHA, no doubt thanks to their British Midland heritage.
To be fair to BA, I can't think of many European airlines who have their own handling staff outside of their main hubs, it is simply cheaper and more efficient to use a dedicated handling agent. If BA wants a more professional service, then they can choose the best GHA for the job, and incentivise these companies as I believe they do, by offering more airline specific training courses and allowing their staff to wear BA's uniform.
UK_Dispatcher From United Kingdom, joined Dec 2001, 2023 posts, RR: 17 Reply 4, posted (1 year 5 months 3 weeks 5 days 2 hours ago) and read 1215 times:
Quoting Lite (Reply 3): or Penauille Servisair, for whom BA are one of the largest customers according to a recent edition of our newsletter "Take Off."
To be honest I always got the impression that BA avoids Servisair in the UK. The only stations where they use Servisair are usually the ones where there are no other handling agents available such as INV. Correct me if I am wrong. I assume the newsletter is referring to worldwide stations where maybe BA previously signed up with Globeground before it was merged with Servisair (to later become Penauille Servisair.)
Lite From , joined today!, posts, RR: Reply 5, posted (1 year 5 months 3 weeks 5 days 1 hour ago) and read 1199 times:
I'm not sure of the ins and outs of the situation as I only read the newsletter in passing, but it was linked to the news that Penauille Servisair were taking over the CDG operation last year, and alongside this article it said that BA was one of our top ten customers worldwide, handling them across France and a few other countries including in North America. Following the GlobeGround merger, and subsequent rebranding, Penauille Servisair are doing a lot to shed the "Circus-air" nickname of the past, so wouldn't be surprised to see Servisair really going for more pan-UK contracts. I know for example this winter we've been handling GB Airways in BRS/EMA.
Sebring From Canada, joined Jul 2004, 1335 posts, RR: 6 Reply 7, posted (1 year 5 months 3 weeks 4 days 21 hours ago) and read 1064 times:
Ironically, Air Canada struck a tentative deal with Aviance a few weeks ago to handle all of its groundhandling at Heathrow, with savings of $7 million per year. Now, it turns out the airline and its LHR unions sat down and hammered out an agreement that will keep the work in-house. The agreement is subject to ratification by the union members. Could BA have the same outcome in mind?
Lite From , joined today!, posts, RR: Reply 8, posted (1 year 5 months 3 weeks 4 days 20 hours ago) and read 1053 times:
BA's ground staff have had some archaic working rules which prevents the airline from being as flexible and cost-conscious as perhaps they would be if they were handled by a dedicated specialist handling agent. As I've said before, I can't think of any airline in Europe who outside of their hubs or major cities are still self-handled, particularly on the ramp.
I'm not sure about LHR/LGW as they are the main hubs where BA will probably be keen to keep things in house, but can imagine Willie will want to put in far more stringent working practises. Elsewhere, the handling agents will be rolling in, but as said earlier, I'm surprised it's aviance as I didn't know BA had any dealings with them already.
Wrighbrothers From United Kingdom, joined Jul 2005, 1812 posts, RR: 10 Reply 10, posted (1 year 5 months 3 weeks 4 days 20 hours ago) and read 1028 times:
It's not too much of a surprise, BA has heavy overheads and can do without it's won baggage handlers at regional airports when another company can do it for cheaper, the same happened to the catering division, and bar the big strike, it's not done much harm.
One thing that has been noted, is that BA's ground-staff (especially at places like LHR and LGW) are not always very 'flexible' in terms of working procedures and working hours. This in itself isn't too great a thing, and since BA just reduced the number of baggage handlers at LHR, it looks like Willie Walsh is trimming the airline up again.
I'd say one of the key things if you want a work force to not get the chop, is be flexible, willing and able to adapt to what's necessary.
Quoting By738 (Reply 9): At least they still have BA Airbus engineering....for now.
BAMG will be staying for a while yet. pretty flexible work force, cheap and it's BA's heavy Airbus maintenance, so it's key.
Jetset7E7 From United Kingdom (England), joined Jul 2004, 1007 posts, RR: 17 Reply 11, posted (1 year 5 months 3 weeks 4 days 2 hours ago) and read 890 times:
Quoting By738 (Reply 9): Nostalgia obviously doesnt come into business, but Ill be sorry to see BA leave Glasgow. At least they still have BA Airbus engineering....for now.
As BA Connect doesn't have any Airbus's in their fleet it won't affect it, and BA mainline isn't leaving. BA are already handed by Aviance in GLA I believe.
I'm just waiting to hear the news at my station whether we will keep Flybe or not!
Mark
Retrofitted Blended Winglets - The Future Is On The Wing
Cainanuk From United Kingdom (England), joined Apr 2002, 452 posts, RR: 0 Reply 12, posted (1 year 5 months 3 weeks 3 days 10 hours ago) and read 763 times:
To be fair, BA had some of their , how shall I say, more "well experienced" ground staff on some rather ridiculous wages. Here at MAN, they had a number of staff well over £25k per anum.
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