Virgin sell their 50% stake in Plane Handling

Aviance (the aircraft handling company of the Go-Ahead group), Virgin's 50% partner in the joint-venture Plane Handling Ltd, and the handler of VS at Heathrow, has acquired Virgin's stake of the company.

http://www.go-ahead.com/news/press/releases2004/2004-31-08.htm

The current plan is for Aviance and Plane Handling to remain as seperate operations.

Cheers,
Mike

quote:...Virgin Aviation has also entered into new five-year commercial contracts with both Plane Handling and Aviance for the provision of cargo handling and passenger ground handling services at London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Manchester and Glasgow airports, covering existing relationships.

I though VS were handled by Groundstar at LGW? Are they part of Go Ahead too?

Alex

There's been a fair amount of consolidation in the handling industry.

Groundstar has been acquired by Swissport.

Lufthansa has sold it's share in GlobeGround. GlobeGround and Servisair are now the same company, and French owned, I think. I noticed that LH is still using Servisair-GlobeGround for check in, pax handling and dispatch, but Aviance are now doing the aircraft handling, loading/unloading, baggage, airstairs, tugs, etc., since the sell off.

Go-Ahead picked up GHI, and British Midland's handling operations, plus some other bits, which have become Aviance UK.

Not quite sure if the deal means that VS are ditching Groundstar/Swissport at KK in favour of Aviance.

Mike

I was under the impression that VS many years ago (5 or so) where handled at LGW by BD/GHI who then became Aviance. So where do groundstar come from??? I thought VS was handled by Aviance at LGW and MAN and plane handling at LHR.