Swissport to Contest Ramp Handling Tender Rankings to Protect Alitalia Employees and Investments

Zurich, Switzerland, 2023-Oct-25 — /Travel PR News/ — Swissport is prepared to contest the award rankings and is fully committed to pursuing legal remedies to safeguard the interests of over 2,300 former Alitalia employees and the considerable investments the company.

Swissport is dismayed to learn of the preliminary ranking list of the ramp handling tender released by Aeroporti di Roma (ADR). This initial ranking has not included our company in the list of three qualified handlers for providing ramp services at Rome Fiumicino Airport. Swissport is waiting for the final confirmation of the results after the verification of the requirements reported by other competing parts.

Swissport has commissioned its legal representation to promptly contest the ranking and request the suspension of the award. The first review of the tender documents revealed deficiencies in the procedure and a questionable allocation of points to the detriment of our company.

“Swissport will therefore challenge the award ranking, if confirmed by ADR. The company will take legal action to protect the interests of the more than 2,300 former Alitalia employees, which had finally found a stable professional environment with Swissport and would once again be put in a state of prolonged uncertainty,” says Marina Bottelli, Swissport’s Managing Director of Italy. 

Swissport only recently acquired Alitalia’s ground handling business “under special administration” in the summer of 2022, including the former Alitalia employees. Swissport has invested significantly and has gone to great lengths in building a world-class operation for ITA Airways’ hub in Rome. In the short time since taking over the operation the company invested in vehicles and other ground support equipment and put in place a plan for the reduction of our carbon footprint by increasing the share of electric ground support equipment. Finally, we assigned an experienced local CEO who established best-in-class operation and intends to drive our success across Italy. It was and remains our goal help take Italian aviation to the next level, jointly with ITA Airways and other Italian partners.

Swissport handles approximately 50 percent of the air traffic to and from Rome Fiumicino and has successfully built a punctual and reliable hub operation at Italy’s largest airport from day one of the operation in July 2022. The company has since expanded to Milano Linate Airport and had plans to invest in airport ground services and cargo handling across Italy. For instance, Swissport just recently applied for a ground handling license at Milan Malpensa Airport. Jointly with its partners and customers Swissport had exciting plans for Italian aviation. Yet, the tender outcome at Rome Fiumicino Airport has cast uncertainty over additional investments in Italy.

Media Contact:

Nathalie Berchtold
+41 (0) 43 815 00 22
media@swissport.com

Source: Swissport

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