newstodate.aero
Dec 04, 2014 (newstodate): Ground handling at Iceland's Keflavik Airport remains dominated by the single largest player, Icelandair - but the scales are tipping slightly..
One year earlier, Icelandair held some 80 percent of the handling business at the airport, but over the last year a number of carriers have increased flight frequencies, and newcomers have added to traffic.
-As of now, I would estimate that Icelandair still holds some 75 percent of the total market, but we have seen a significant increase in our business during the last year or so, says Sigthor Skulason, Airport Associates managing director.
-Actually, we have first of all seen volumes by existing customers rising as they add more flights on routes already served or add new flights to their schedules. More business with existing customers is of course a highly attractive situation for us.
-One new customer in 2014 has been flybe operating three weekly rotations on a new route between Birmingham and Keflavik Airport during the summer period. Existing airline clients of Airport Associates include WOW Air, easyJet, Norwegian, Bluebird Cargo, British Airways, Cargolux, Delta Airlines, UPS, Air Berlin, Germanwings, Fly Niki, First Choice Airways, Primera Air, Thomas Cook and many more.
-As can be seen, cargo handling is also important to us, with Bluebird Cargo flying five times weekly at Keflavik for integrators UPS and TNT as well as carrying general cargo sold by Cargo Express.
-In winter we are now employing 150 staff, rising to 250 during the busy summer seasons. We see growth year by year, also spurred by increasing international interest in Iceland's natural attractions as well as the re-bounce in the country's economy after the melt-down in 2008, says Mr Skulason.
One year earlier, Icelandair held some 80 percent of the handling business at the airport, but over the last year a number of carriers have increased flight frequencies, and newcomers have added to traffic.
-As of now, I would estimate that Icelandair still holds some 75 percent of the total market, but we have seen a significant increase in our business during the last year or so, says Sigthor Skulason, Airport Associates managing director.
-Actually, we have first of all seen volumes by existing customers rising as they add more flights on routes already served or add new flights to their schedules. More business with existing customers is of course a highly attractive situation for us.
-One new customer in 2014 has been flybe operating three weekly rotations on a new route between Birmingham and Keflavik Airport during the summer period. Existing airline clients of Airport Associates include WOW Air, easyJet, Norwegian, Bluebird Cargo, British Airways, Cargolux, Delta Airlines, UPS, Air Berlin, Germanwings, Fly Niki, First Choice Airways, Primera Air, Thomas Cook and many more.
-As can be seen, cargo handling is also important to us, with Bluebird Cargo flying five times weekly at Keflavik for integrators UPS and TNT as well as carrying general cargo sold by Cargo Express.
-In winter we are now employing 150 staff, rising to 250 during the busy summer seasons. We see growth year by year, also spurred by increasing international interest in Iceland's natural attractions as well as the re-bounce in the country's economy after the melt-down in 2008, says Mr Skulason.