Aena has already activated the process of signing the contracts for the new handling licenses, after the Central Administrative Court for Contractual Appeals (TACR) rejected Iberia's appeal against the outcome of this process on Friday. The IAG airline lost numerous handling licenses and the important associated business, including those of del Prat, Palma de Mallorca, Málaga and five other large airports (only Barajas remains among those with the most passenger traffic), which which led her to question the award process.
The confrontation between the parties has been increasing in tone, to the point that the listed company chaired by Maurici Lucena has asked Iberia to "abandon unedifying attitudes", not to "obstruct the transition process" and to accept "with greatness "spirit that lost numerous licenses". Aena insists that other companies won the awards "for the simple reason that they presented better technical and economic proposals than those of Iberia". It thus responds to the latest move by the airline, which has filed an appeal before the National Court in which it requests the annulment of the competition and the precautionary suspension of the new contracts.
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 does not bet on "autohandling" the airlines of the IAG group, including Vueling or British Airways.
The unions CC.OO. and UGT asked Iberia to opt for this route.
Aena will now meet with the awarded companies and airlines to manage the change. To start this process, Aseata, the employer's association of the ground assistance companies that obtained licenses in the public tender resolved on September 26, and the Airline Association (ALA), which groups the companies that operate in Spanish territory.
The commercial dialogue is now open for airlines to hire the services of handling companies or decide to do it on their own (autohandling), a process that Aena expects to be finished before the summer season of 2024.
The result of the competition has caused discomfort and concern among the 7,000 workers of Iberia Airport Services, who fear a deterioration in working conditions even though the law dictates that the surrogacy must respect them. Groundfource, Aviapartner, Menzies and Swissport are the main awarded companies, apart from Iberia.
The workers have staged stoppages and protests in recent weeks and threatened a strike for the Constitution Bridge, which was eventually called off when they reached an agreement with the ground assistance union.
