Sky Handling Partner is a subsidiary of Groupe Crit which is based in Paris and listed on the Euronext Paris exchange. The handling sector of the group achieved revenues of Ä197m for 2013 with operations covering 10 stations in seven countries including France, United Kingdom, Ireland and several African locations, with a workforce of 3,300 staff.
Depending on the location, the company’s services include the full spectrum of ground handling activities. Its customers include Air France, City-jet, Lufthansa, SAS, TAM, British Airways, Swiss Airlines, Air Canada, Air Transat, Westjet, UPS, TNT, DHL, Norwegian Air Shuttle, Emirates and Flybe, and aircraft types ranging from regional Saab and ATR42 up to B777 and A380.
Moloney says, “In the UK and Ireland operation alone we serviced 103,302 flights in 2013 – this aptly demonstrates the level of volume the group has secured in this important market. Global volume for 2013 exceeds 300,000 flights with a further increase forecast for 2014.”
Sky Handling Partner has invested in several key technologies to support its operation. Moloney explains, “On the ramp, all ground support equipment is tracked by GPS which provides real-time visibility on equipment location including speed, direction and the specific driver of the unit. Our Ilynx Turnaround Monitoring system, developed on a bespoke basis, enables the provision of e-billing services and real-time information flow. The system utilises mobile data capture around an aircraft and interfaces into our scheduling programme to provide a live feed on current station events and records a plethora of salient data specific to each flight serviced.
“Several stations within the group are ISAGO compliant and the corporate objective is to achieve this accreditation across all locations by 2016,” says Moloney. “The first priority is, and will always remain, safety. Safety of our staff, passengers and the aircraft we handle. In order to support this primary responsibility the group has a dedicated in-house Security and Compliance team who report directly to the board of directors. Our commitment to maintaining and further embedding our safety culture is evidenced by the awards and accreditations we have received. For example, in Ireland we have secured the overall Irish Transport Industry Safety award for 2012 and have also been the recipient of the NISO (National Irish Safety and Occupational) award on several occasions. There is a formal training and compliance programme that is audited internally by our quality team and externally by our airlines.”
Moloney says, “Ground handling, not unlike many industries, has had to adapt and proactively manage the economic challenges prevalent in the European aviation market since late 2008.” Sky Handling Partner has ensured it maintains its full spectrum ground handling capability by making a significant investment in technology and support systems. He continues, “In addition, our continued focus on training and compliance, and the level of service excellence we consistently achieve, has enabled us to develop long-term strategic partnerships with our airline customers. This approach has allowed us to increase the range of services we offer to individual airlines, for example crew transport, supervision etc.
“This collaborative approach is absolutely vital for the future success of any ground handling company and Sky Handling Partner has worked to ensure first-mover advantage in this regard.”
The company’s revenue from ground handling has doubled over the last decade and this has been accomplished by entering new market locations (Shannon, London City, Lungi) in strategic partnership with key airlines and inorganically by acquiring incumbent ground handling companies such as Aria Logistics Ltd in London City in 2013. Moloney confirms, “The group is committed to expanding our network presence and investing in key airport locations that complement our existing airline pool. This strategy simultaneously acts as an enabler to increase the number of airlines we serve and provides opportunities to develop new strategic relationships.”
