newstodate.aero
Apr 06, 2010 (newstodate): Latvia's new handling company, North Hub Services, may find it difficult to get access to the Estonian ground handling market.
Estonia is among the company's prime targets, and North Hub Services has announced that a move will be made in 2010 to break the existing monopoly by the Estonian capital airport's own handling company, Tallinn airport GH.
-In 2009 Tallinn Airport handled 176,000 passengers, and we expect to see this figure increasing by some six to eight percent in 2010, says Rein Loik, Tallinn Airport Chairman of the Board.
-This is, however, still well below the figure in 2008 when a total of 1.8 mio passengers was handled.
-We will of course observe EU's requirement for ground handling to be opened up for a second or even third handling agent once our passenger volumes exceed the two-million mark.
-Until then, airlines are allowed to establish self-handling at the airport if they so want, but the market will not be opened up for third-party ground handling by a second handling agent as long as volumes are below two million passengers.
-We took over Estonian Air's handling activities only two years ago and have since invested in new equipment to provide handling services at fair prices to all airlines currently operating at Tallinn Airport, says Mr Loik.
Estonia is among the company's prime targets, and North Hub Services has announced that a move will be made in 2010 to break the existing monopoly by the Estonian capital airport's own handling company, Tallinn airport GH.
-In 2009 Tallinn Airport handled 176,000 passengers, and we expect to see this figure increasing by some six to eight percent in 2010, says Rein Loik, Tallinn Airport Chairman of the Board.
-This is, however, still well below the figure in 2008 when a total of 1.8 mio passengers was handled.
-We will of course observe EU's requirement for ground handling to be opened up for a second or even third handling agent once our passenger volumes exceed the two-million mark.
-Until then, airlines are allowed to establish self-handling at the airport if they so want, but the market will not be opened up for third-party ground handling by a second handling agent as long as volumes are below two million passengers.
-We took over Estonian Air's handling activities only two years ago and have since invested in new equipment to provide handling services at fair prices to all airlines currently operating at Tallinn Airport, says Mr Loik.