newstodate.aero

Feb 15, 2022 (newstodate): Operating at 29 airports in Turkey, the Turkish ground handling company Havas is adding its second company outside the home country.
   As of February 11, 2022, Havas entered a 20-years contract with Serbia's Zagreb Airport to take over passenger, ramp, representation and supervision services, flight operation, load control and communication services as well as cargo and mail services.
   With a staff of some 500 employees, Havas will be the sole handling provider at the airport that is currently seeing 30 airlines in the passenger as well as the cargo traffic that in 2019 generated some three mio passengers and 13,000 tonnes of cargo; after the Covid-19 the airport's passenger volumes in 2021 however dropped to 41 percent of the 2019-level.
   Havas' first ground handling base outside Turkey was Latvia's Riga Airport where the company on April 12, 2010, acquired 50 percent of North Hub Services, established in 2009 by Baltijas Aviacijas Sistemas, taking over the handling contract with airBaltic.
   airBaltic however started own ground handling from November 2021, abrogating the contract with Havas as part of the airline's cost improvement program to simplify its business and operations - and in addition enabling the carrier to re-employ part of its former employees.
   The loss of the contract with airBaltic still did not spell the full retreat from Riga by Havas that has signed a new agreement with FBO RIGA, securing a sustained presence at the Latvian airport.
   With the new agreement, Havas will carry out all ground handling and de-icing operations of business jets handled by FBO RIGA at Riga Airport until 2024.