Aena has finally activated the process of signing the contracts for the new ground handling licenses (handling), after the Central Administrative Court of Contractual Resources (TACR) dismissed last Friday Iberia's appeal against the result of this . The IAG airline lost numerous handling licenses, including those at El Prat and other large airports (it only retains Barajas among the busiest), which led it to question the award process.
The confrontation between the parties has been escalating, to the point that this Tuesday, the listed company chaired by Maurici Lucena has asked Iberia to "abandon unedifying attitudes", not to "hinder the transition process" and accept "with grandeur of spirit that lost numerous licenses". Aena insists that other companies won the licenses "for the simple reason that they presented better technical-economic proposals than those of Iberia.
The airport manager also sees a "contradiction" in Iberia's position. On the one hand, Aena insists, the airline maintains that its handling proposals are better, but at the same time it is not committed to "carrying out autohandling" for the airlines of the IAG group, including Vueling or British Airways. The CC.OO unions. and UGT asked Iberia to opt for this route.
Now, Aena will meet with the successful bidder companies and the airlines to make the change. To begin this process, Aseata, the association of ground handling companies that obtained licenses in the public tender held on September 26, and the Association of Airlines (ALA), which brings together companies operating in Spain, have convened. .
Now the commercial dialogue is open for airlines to hire the services of handling companies or decide to carry out on their own ('autohandling'), a process that Aena plans to have completed before the 2024 summer season.
