Ground handling

Ground handling

Better efficiency through liberalization at the airports

The liberalization of the ground handling services at German airports makes little to no progress and is controversially discussed on EU level since 1996. The aim is to enable free competition but there is a long way to go. Generally, airlines can choose among two providers for luggage- and cargo handling, the loading and unloading of the aircraft, as well as other ramp-handling services. A provider is usually the airport operator himself. The second license is often held by private enterprises. Under these circumstances, the airlines cannot choose from a range of ground handling services and are forced to take the only option available.

BARIG is convinced that more competition would activate the market and would cause more cost transparency with consistent quality. The UK, Sweden and Italy have opened this market with positive examples. In these countries, the liberalization of ground handling services has already proceeded. Germany has to follow these examples. BARIG prompts politics to break up the duopolistic structures at German airports and to allow a free competition for ground handling services. BARIG sees the EU in charge to implement the long overdue Europe wide respective regulation after the stagnation of this process for a long time now.

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