newstodate.aero
May 04, 2016 (newstodate): SAS and Aviator are still in talks over the sale of SAS Ground Handling activities in Scandinavia - only the scope has, however, again been further narrowed.
At stake now is only the transfer of SAS Ground Handling's line stations in Gothenburg and Malmo to Aviator.
In September 2015, SAS signed a Letter of Intent with Aviator concerning the transfer of ground handling at the main airports in Scandinavia and in Gothenburg and Malmo - but this LoI has now been cut in size.
Instead, SAS has decided not to outsource its ground handling at Copenhagen, Oslo, and Stockholm, thus keeping the ground handling at the main airports itself as "the commercial criteria do not exist to warrant a takeover of ground handling at the main airports".
In a release, SAS explains that in recent years the company has implemented a large-scale streamlining program within SAS Ground Handling and has outsourced a large proportion of the business, which has reduced costs by around MSEK 300 over the past two years.
SAS digitization strategy will enable further streamlining and customer improvements to be made within the sphere of ground operations, which the company considers can be best achieved by itself, the message reads.
With the decision to keep SGH at its three Scandinavian hubs, SAS has also avoided a highly potential clash with the unions that have been vehemently against a divorce from SAS and the special benefits pertaining to airline employment.
Since February 2, 2016, Wideroe has taken over all SAS Ground Handling's activities in Norway except for Oslo Gardermoen Airport.
All about 1,500 SGH staff in Norway, equipment and contracts at 14 Norwegian airports have thus been transferred to Wideroe Ground Handling that has itself been employing some 220 staff at 29 airports in Norway.
At stake now is only the transfer of SAS Ground Handling's line stations in Gothenburg and Malmo to Aviator.
In September 2015, SAS signed a Letter of Intent with Aviator concerning the transfer of ground handling at the main airports in Scandinavia and in Gothenburg and Malmo - but this LoI has now been cut in size.
Instead, SAS has decided not to outsource its ground handling at Copenhagen, Oslo, and Stockholm, thus keeping the ground handling at the main airports itself as "the commercial criteria do not exist to warrant a takeover of ground handling at the main airports".
In a release, SAS explains that in recent years the company has implemented a large-scale streamlining program within SAS Ground Handling and has outsourced a large proportion of the business, which has reduced costs by around MSEK 300 over the past two years.
SAS digitization strategy will enable further streamlining and customer improvements to be made within the sphere of ground operations, which the company considers can be best achieved by itself, the message reads.
With the decision to keep SGH at its three Scandinavian hubs, SAS has also avoided a highly potential clash with the unions that have been vehemently against a divorce from SAS and the special benefits pertaining to airline employment.
Since February 2, 2016, Wideroe has taken over all SAS Ground Handling's activities in Norway except for Oslo Gardermoen Airport.
All about 1,500 SGH staff in Norway, equipment and contracts at 14 Norwegian airports have thus been transferred to Wideroe Ground Handling that has itself been employing some 220 staff at 29 airports in Norway.