International customer journal Swissport International Ltd. Issue 3 November 1999

1–5 Pat Deasy The President of DynAir says: we would also have chosen Swissport.

6

10 –11

15

Stephan Beerli After the merger it is vital that we exploit the available synergies.

Karl-Heinz Neumeister ATC in Europe is in a state of chaos and mismanagement.

Joseph In Albon Swissport has been promoted to the league of global players.

SWISSPORT WORLDWIDE ■ Swissport becomes a global ground-handling service provider by purchasing the American DynAir ground services group

A perfect match! With the acquisition of the DynAir ground services group, the numbertwo ground handling provider in the North American market, Swissport International now offers a worldwide service network, new products and global contracts to its customers.

T H E F I G U R E S A R E impressive indeed. In this new constellation DynAir, Swissport and their joint venture partners are now represented by a staff of 14 300 employees at 103 airports around the world.And with 322 airlines available to their customers, they will be jointly handling more than 958 000 flights per year. Until now Swissport has not had a presence in the North American market. With DynAir Inc., which has its headquarters in Washington D.C., the Swissport family has been increased by 57 locations. Among these are major hubs like New York (JFK) and Los Angeles, but also Boston, Miami, Chicago, Denver, Anchorage and dream destinations like Hawaii. Outside the USA DynAir operates two stations: in Cagliari, Italy, and in Khabarovsk, Russia. The integrated operation of Swissport and DynAir should be an ideal alliance for both companies. A large gap in the worldwide service network has been closed, and customers will benefit in the future not only from such enlargement, but also from cost-saving multi-point incentive programmes. The contract portfolio of DynAir already includes 298 airlines for which the company and its subsidiaries, DynAir Fueling Inc. and Air Carrier Service Inc., provide a full

complement of services. In addition to traditional ground-handling activities these include overnight mail, call centres, line maintenance and fueling. Air Carrier Services, based in Salt Lake City, exclusively provides cabin cleaning but also operates a call centre in San Antonio,Texas for Mexicana Airlines. Hallmark, a Californ-

ian ground handling company in which DynAir has a 51% stake, is a joint venture with Qantas. The customer list of DynAir reads like a “Who’s Who” of aviation. The references run throughout the alphabet: from A (Aeroflot, Air France, American), to B (Balair, British Airways, Britannia), to C (Cathay Pacific,

Canadian, China Airlines) on up to V (Varig, Vasp, Virgin Atlantic), and ending at W (Western Pacific, World Airlines).

Eventful history DynAir was founded in 1967 – at that time under the name of Servair – as an aircraft cleaning company, operat-

DynAir staff like the idea of being associated with a partner with such extensive experience of the ground handling business.

SWISSPORT WORLDWIDE

DynAir Inc.’s management team at the head office in Washington D.C. (from left): Robert Azzam, Controller; Milly Dedekind, Executive Vice President Operations & President Air Carrier Services; Tom Comeau, President DynAir Fueling; Pat Deasy, President & CEO DynAir; Tony Ivey, Senior Vice President Marketing & Business Development and Bill Rodriguez, Vice President Human Resources. Not pictured: John Saunders, Vice President Finance and Joe Drago, Vice President Property.

ing at various stations on the U.S. west and east coasts, as well as at U.S. air bases. From these beginnings the first activities as a ground handling service developed in Alaska, for passengers of Japan Airlines and Pan American. The big leap forward came in 1974 with the licence for JFK Airport in New York. In a single year the revenue soared from USD 2 to 14 million. Alitalia, Lufthansa, Aer Lingus and Swissair were the first customers.

Swissport – DynAir: the best of both worlds Pat Deasy, CEO of the DynAir ground services group, is proud of the company’s achievements. “Our activities and the full scope of our services and products have always been focused on customer satisfaction.”

Deasy smiles, and adds: “There was a time when we ran a hotel for pets in Anchorage, because the animals had to take a rest after the long flight.” Another sector that one does not expect to be covered by a ground handler is fueling. For this activity, DynAir founded a separate company, DynAir Fueling Inc. “Our competitors do not usually offer aircraft maintenance,” he explains, but DynAir is also active in this field. A repair service for in-flight telephone and video systems is also provided. Pat Deasy continues to explain the ambitious philosophy of the company: “Under the motto ‘Setting the Pace for the Industry’ we have defined our visions and our values in all areas of our business. We want to be a leading global provider of quality service in ground

handling, to offer the customer a clear concept of excellence, integrity, partnership, innovation, empowerment and fulfilment. And we also want to offer our employees a motivating working environment.”

Happy bride – proud bridegroom The CEO is convinced that the wedding of Swissport and DynAir is not

only an ideal match, but a true love affair. “We both share the same high notions of quality,” says Mr. Deasy, taking pride in pointing out that last year DynAir achieved an overall ontime performance of 99.8%.“We, too, would have chosen Swissport as a partner,” he continues and closes with a convincing smile: “We match Swissport.” The acquisition by Swissport also gives DynAir a strategic oppor-

MARKETING AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Good cross-fertilisation Swissreporter: How do you feel about the changeover from DynAir to Swissport? Ivey: “Excellent! Many people now with Swissport are known to us personally since they were colleagues in the days of Swissair. Swissair has been a major customer of DynAir since 1974. The new alliance is a great opportunity for both companies. As far as corporate philosophy, commitment to quality and business ethics are concerned, we make a really good team. Aren’t there any uncertainties which

Anthony D. Ivey, Senior Vice President, could result from the change? Marketing and Business Development “No, there aren’t.We always wanted to

be a global player, but the former owners did not have the resources necessary to finance such development. The new situation gives us the opportunity to attain that objective. In the future, there will be only two, or at the most three, ground service companies worldwide. Anticipating this development, Swissport constitutes an ideal partner.” What has your initial impression been under the new ownership? A very positive one! What kind of marketing benefits can one expect from this new structure? From now on, the customer will need to talk to one partner only rather than to many. Our airline customers will also profit from the new situation through our worldwide umbrella incentive programmes.

Ramp staff at Washington’s Dulles International Airport: consistently positive motivation thanks to positive signals regarding the acquisition. 2 Swissreporter – The Swissport customer journal ■ November 1999

Are there any new products in the pipeline? At DynAir we are doing a lot of things which are not being offered in Europe. I am thinking of fuelling, airline maintenance, call centres and a repair service for in-flight telephone and video systems. On the other hand, Swissport possesses more expertise in the best management techniques, such as IT technologies, DCS and other kinds of systems which we could also use here to increase our profitability.

SWISSPORT WORLDWIDE

tunity to become a global player. We could not have achieved this by ourselves, neither from our financial potential nor from our human resources. The acquisition by Swissport offered an ideal way of meeting our own objectives”. Talking to the DynAir management team and to many staff members, an unaffected, genuine enthusiasm for the new constellation can be clearly felt. “In our corporate history there have been various owners. Swissport with its expertise and its synergy provides a greater challenge for us than any we would have from a group of shareholders only interested in figures,” says one top manager. All those interviewed appreciate that the uncompromising standards of excellence are shared. DynAir has actively promoted Total Quality Management for more than ten years. Now Swissport will undertake a big effort to have its ISO 9002 quality certification successfully implemented on a worldwide scale.

CUSTOMER VOICE

“They do a fine, steady job; very dependable.”

O P E R AT I O N S

DynAir staff at Washington’s Dulles International Airport handle passenger service duties for various customer airlines.

Exploit the best mutual practice!

“I know what customers expect from us!” “From the operational side, I know what customers expect from us. That’s why I think the alliance of Swissport and DynAir offers a great opportunity. For us as well as for our customers. To be linked to a company in the same line of business which is itself associated with a renowned airline will engender even greater strength for DynAir. In our line of business Swissport enjoys an excellent reputation for quality. And our customers demand nothing less than a top-quality service wherever they travel in the world. Swissport and DynAir together can provide such a service. We will also learn many things from each other and will be able to identify the best of such knowledge with an open mind. This will enable us to continuously enhance the services we provide for our airline customers and to achieve our objective of being a global leader in the provision of ground handling services!” Milly Dedekind, Executive Vice President Operations DynAir and President Air Carrier Services Inc.

“We bring experience and a track record, having successfully competed against the biggest companies here in the USA. Swissport’s dowry is expertise gained from its rather closed European markets and its excellent management practices,” says Pat Deasy, who adds: “The transfer of know-how will bring significant advantages to all our customers.” The key words are ‘best practice’! For weeks teams from both companies have been working intensively to analyse ‘best practice’ in various fields and to translate the results for the benefit of the 322 customer airlines. The expected synergies will encompass all activities: “This best of both worlds,” comments the CEO of DynAir,“will certainly increase overall performance and thereby raise customer satisfaction to new levels.” Combined purchasing in all areas will reduce overheads, and joint marketing and sales efforts will bring the customer tangible savings through multipoint contracts in what is now a global network. The introduction of new products and services can also be expected. “Jointly, we now have 14 300 dedicated employees at 103 airports around the world. Every business which has commercial promise that one can think of in the world of aviation, and which would offer a challenge to us as a company

committed to quality, would also be conceivable to me as a new business venture.” Christian P. Somogyi Photos: August Kehl

“The local DynAir staff here in Washington D.C. have a keen sense of responsibility and react promptly to any of our requirements. I have myself worked in the airline industry since 1974 and have long experience with ground handling agents worldwide. The DynAir operation out in Dulles is just excellent! They not only know all about how we operate, but they fit into our operation just as if they were our own employees. In addition to our own staff, we sometimes have to allocate ten or more DynAir personnel to check-in. What is it that I appreciate most of all? It’s that DynAir is very proactive! They don’t wait until we call them. The DynAir people discover an issue and bring it to our attention. Then they try immediately to act and to give us alternatives. I like that, and ANA likes that, too.” John E. Senter, Supervisor, Airport Security and Operations, All Nippon Airways, Dulles International Airport, Washington

PORTRAIT

Erich Bodenmann goes west! As of January 2000, Erich Bodenmann will take over the management of DynAir Inc. A graduate

engineer of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), he joined Swissair Technics in 1987, where he last occupied the position of manager for the entire air carrier maintenance division. From 1989 to 1994 he built up all the buildings and infrastructure for the new aircraft maintenance base in Shannon, oper-

ated as a joint venture by Swissair, Lufthansa and Guinness Peat Aviation. At the same time he was also the head of the Planning and Engineering Division. Before returning to the SAirGroup, specifically to Swissport in March 1998, he worked for four years as a member of the management of the Pilatus Aircraft Company. Besides his present function as Director of the Ramp & Baggage Services of Swissport Zurich AG, he is currently also responsible for the newly-installed luggage system. What drew him to his new job? Erich Bodenmann:“I wanted to take up the challenge of overall responsibility for this company.”This 44-yearold thoroughbred airline man will move to Washington with his wife and his two sons. His family is looking forward to their new home just as eagerly as he is. They already speak English at home, so they expect to have little difficulty in settling in. CPS

The Swissport customer journal ■ November 1999 – Swissreporter 3

SWISSPORT WORLDWIDE

AIR CARRIER SERVICES INC., SALT LAKE CITY ■ A wide range of services

Satisfaction guaranteed the safety aspect!” says Bob Brown, going on to explain that last year there was not a single incident of damage to any one of the 60 000 aircraft serviced by his teams. CUSTOMER VOICE

“They do an excellent job!”

60 000 aircraft per annum! One of 11 cleaning crews, consisting of Air Carrier Services personnel, who provide cleaning and lavatory servicing to 156 Delta aircraft daily. Working around the clock! With a staff of 469 persons Air Carrier Services provides a wide range of services from eight stations in the USA. Swissreporter visited the company, a subsidiary of DynAir, in Salt Lake City, Utah.

A C R Y S T A L - C L E A R autumn morning welcomes us in the Salt Lake Valley (approximately 4 800 feet above sea level). There Robert T. Brown, Director of Operations of Air Carrier Services Inc., meets us at the Salt Lake City Crystal Motel.We take a drive to the airport, where the offices and the warehouse of Air Carrier Services Inc. are housed in an impressive hangar.

Clean aircraft: an impressive calling card! In Salt Lake City Air Carrier Service Inc. exclusively provides aircraft cleaning for its sole customer, Delta Air Lines. This activity, we soon learned, is not to be underestimated. This particular contract started in 1992 with the provision of overnight interior cabin cleaning for five Delta aircraft. Because of excellent performance the contract was expanded in 1993 to include, as Bob Brown points out proudly,“cabin cleaning and lavatory servicing on all Delta flights.” Today, 211 personnel clean 156 aircraft daily, working around the clock. This is equivalent to a total of 60 000 planes per annum. For Delta Air Lines, Salt Lake City is, after Atlanta and Cincinnati, the third-largest hub in the USA. Correspondingly, the contract with Air Carrier Service car-

ries great weight, as the passenger cabin, which is spick-and-span, becomes the airline’s calling card.

“We perform to ensure customer satisfaction!” But still, we asked the Director of Operations, doesn’t having a single customer also make the company very vulnerable? Bob Brown (with a smile on his face) replies: “We perform so as to ensure the satisfaction of our customer! In spite of the strict demands and the often very difficult circumstances, we achieved an ontime performance of 99.8% last year. This was in spite of the fact that the timeframes for the cleaning crews were extremely tight. During peak hours there are 26 flights arriving at

the gates at the same time. They all have to be serviced by the 11 cleaning crews. They take care of cabin cleaning, lavatory service and the provision of all non-food items. Cleaning airplanes,” he sums up, “is not technically difficult, but dispatching and correct time-scheduling require a high degree of professionalism.” On the ramp tower an Air Carrier Services employee works permanently alongside the Delta dispatchers. From this position, high above the tarmac, we can see for ourselves how the cleaning crews are directed to the various aircraft. Bob is proud not only to regularly beat the time limits, but also to exceed the quality standards of his clients. “In spite of tight operational schedules, we give pride of place to

Robert T. Brown, Director of Operations of Air Carrier Services, Salt Lake City International Airport: “We perform to ensure the satisfaction of our customer!”

4 Swissreporter – The Swissport customer journal ■ November 1999

“At our base Delta Air Lines has a daily frequency of 150 incoming flights arriving in six time sequences with seven aircraft types. Sometimes, it’s really challenging. We are permanently assessing cleanliness standards and we get positive feedback. Any delays? So far this month only one. We run a good operation and have a great crew! If we have to deal with delayed flights, especially in winter, and have to make up for time lost, we can always count on the co-operation of the Air Carrier staff. It’s a really good working relationship!” Roger E. Hock, Supervisor Airport Services, Delta Air Lines, Salt Lake City

From cargo to call centre What kind of operations are carried out by the other subsidiaries of Air Carrier Services? ● San Antonio, Texas: 174 employees operate the reservations centre for Mexicana Airlines. ● Denver, Colorado: 29 employees provide skycap and passenger assistance services for Delta Air Lines. ● New York, JFK Airport: seven staff members provide passenger services for Avianca Airlines. ● Spokane, Washington: 20 Air Carrier Services employees are engaged in underwing and cargo activities for Delta Air Lines. ● Phoenix, Arizona: 10 employees provide cargo service for Delta Air Lines. ● Pasco, Washington: 15 employees perform underwing and cargo activities for Delta Air Lines. ● Miami, Florida: three employees provide the passenger service for Avianca Airlines. Christian P. Somogyi Photos: August Kehl

SWISSPORT WORLDWIDE

DYNAIR IN LOS ANGELES ■ 6 000 aircraft and 400 000 passengers annually

Ready for future growth! 112 airlines, over 61 million passengers and two million tonnes of cargo per year make Los Angeles (LAX) one of the world’s biggest airports. It is also one of the largest of the total of 55 DynAir stations in the USA. Swissreporter visited DynAir in Los Angeles and talked to some of its customers.

CUSTOMER VOICE

D Y N A I R I N Los Angeles is staffed with roughly 700 personnel who provide a complete range of ground handling services for 6 000 aircraft and 400 000 passengers annually. This includes passenger, ramp and cleaning services, as well as line maintenance, A-checks and warehousing. The contract portfolio includes big names such as Qantas, Air France, China Airlines and Aeromexico. In L.A. DynAir is one of the Big Three ground handling providers. In spite of CUSTOMER VOICE

High-level service!

Important representatives of the airline’s image: 80 well-motivated DynAir personnel are employed solely to handle passenger services for Aeromexico.

“DynAir handles our baggage service, our loading and unloading and our cabin cleaning. If shortcomings are observed – and mistakes can happen anywhere and at any time – we can be sure that they are corrected the very next day. The management, too, is very cooperative and responds promptly to our needs. We are happy with them, they are doing a very good job.” Johnny Chang, Station Manager, China Airlines, Tom Bradley International Terminal, Los Angeles too large, no fear of amalgamations or mergers. People talk instead about opportunities and the possibility in the future of working better,faster,and in markets further afield. 170 technicians are employed in the Aircraft Maintenance sector. Vice President Hasnain Ansari would like to extend the service offered by Swissport. “There’s great potential there,” he says, before pointing out that he, too, is very well aware of the achievements of SR Technics. He expects to find possible synergies within the SAirGroup. Administration Manager Dion Fatafehi foresees “a bright future” and welcomes an extensive and speedy transfer of knowledge.

We can count on DynAir 24 hours a day! 80 well motivated DynAir personnel are employed for the passenger services of Aeromexico. In their Aeromexico uniforms, they are important representatives of the airline’s image. Here, appearance and performance are obviously scrutinised. All the greater, therefore, is the compliment of the Station Manager of DynAir’s most important client in L.A. “I’m extremely pleased with DynAir services,” says Mr. Trujillo. “There has never been a time when I have not been able to get hold of a person responsible to take care of my needs, on a 24-hour basis, including weekends and holidays. Always! The same holds true for my superiors, the Regional Headquarters in Houston and the Corporate Headquarters in Mexico City,” Don Francisco goes on to say.“They are just as pleased as I am with the way the contract in Los Angeles is fulfilled.” Don Francisco Trujillo, Airport Manager, Aeromexico, Los Angeles International Airport

Ramp, passenger and cleaning services as well as line maintenance, A-check and warehousing: the 700 DynAir staff in Los Angeles provide a complete range of ground handling services.

all this, Kenneth E. Hodges, DynAir’s Vice President Western Region, takes a very positive view of the acquisition of DynAir by Swissport: “We received the news with a great deal of pleasure,” he comments emphatically. Hodges also told Swissreporter that the whole airport community in L.A. reacted positively to the new situation.“Now we can offer our clients all the benefits of a large international company,” explains Michael F. Braney, Vice President Business Development, “nationwide as well as on a global scale.” Rudy Barba, General Manager Ramp Operations, is also

convinced about the new deal:“We, as DynAir, have built up a very good reputation which will be greatly reinforced by Swissport and the name of Swissair which stands behind it.”

Exchange of resources and know-how Josephine Villarreal,General Manager Passenger Services, who heads a crew of 185 staff working exclusively in this sector, is convinced that the new possibilities inherent in the exchange of resources and know-how are potent weapons in the fight for market share. This is America: no fear of becoming

A lot of fresh ideas! We meet Training Manager Lester Scott Virgil as he drives in his safety car over the tarmac from one DynAir team to another, carefully checking that all instructions are faithfully followed. He trains 10 to 16 new staff members weekly to equip them to implement the rules and regulations established by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), LAX Airport, IATA and other aviation authorities. His brief comment sums up the new situation: “It’s always a good thing when two companies combine. It will generate a lot of fresh ideas!” Christian P. Somogyi Photos: August Kehl

The Swissport customer journal ■ November 1999 – Swissreporter 5

INSIDE

DUE DILIGENCE ■ The process is essentially the application of the “caveat emptor” maxim

How to buy a company With the recent acquisition of the DynAir ground services group, Swissport has made an ascent to the peak. Let’s follow the acquisition process behind-the-scenes, with particular focus on the role of “due diligence” during the transaction.

S W I S S P O R T ’ S K E Y strategic objective is to develop a worldwide network of superior professional ground handling operations. In order to achieve this goal Swissport forms partnerships and joint ventures with carefully-chosen ground handling companies and acquires selected companies and operations in order to increasingly fill the world map with its presence. Once Swissport had clearly identified that acquisitions and joint ventures were necessary in addition to organic growth to achieve its strategic objectives, the next stage was to identify and evaluate suitable companies which would fit into Swissport’s objective of establishing a worldwide presence. Swissport identified DynAir and obtained from Alpha Group, the former shareholder of DynAir, the opportunity to perform a due diligence procedure and to submit a purchase offer for DynAir.

caveat emptor, or let the buyer beware, to enable Swissport to truly identify what it would be acquiring. Particular emphasis was given to understanding DynAir’s operations and processes, its legal, tax, environmental and labour obligations, explaining the historical financial results, and identifying any unwanted surprises. Internal experts from Swissport worked together with the financial and legal due diligence professionals of PricewaterhouseCoopers and Baker & McKenzie.The specific expertise of Swissport’s staff was especially

important in the process of determining the synergies which could be achieved from the acquisition. There is enormous value in assembling such a multi-disciplinary team, since the insight gained into the target company provides valuable information for both the price negotiations and then the post-acquisition implementation phase of the transaction.

Good decisions thanks to good advice PricewaterhouseCoopers was able to provide financial, tax and risk man-

agement due diligence services and was ideally placed to provide central coordination of this transatlantic project. Through their extensive network they were able to draw upon external industry and market specialists to provide Swissport with seamless and integrated acquisition services. Based on the results of the due diligence process, Swissport management then had to decide whether or not to proceed with the acquisition and presented the results to the steering committee and the Board of Directors of the SAirGroup. The deal was approved and the legal negotiations advanced to the completion phase of the deal, where issues such as purchase price and transfer of ownership were finalised. Once the contracts were signed, the real work of making the deal a success began: it’s now a question of achieving the synergies and strategic objectives which originally drove the deal. René Rausenberger C O N TA C T

René Rausenberger, a partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers Ltd. P. O. Box, CH-8035 Zurich Phone: +41 1 630 22 66 E-mail: [email protected]

“Skeletons in the closet”? The due diligence process is essentially the application of the maxim of

POST-MERGER ■ Integration is the second and the much more difficult phase of an acquisition

The first 100 days are decisive! No matter how happy one feels about a successful acquisition, the moment of truth inevitably follows.

A F T E R T H E M E R G E R , realised following the due diligence procedure that was carried out by the renowned management consulting firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers (see also the above article), it is now vital, in this second phase, that we exploit the synergies expected and the other associated potential. The acquisition will incidentally increase the turnover of the Swissport handling locations, but its primary objective is to derive full benefit from the potential inherent in such expansion. Since September of this year eight combined groups, advised by McKinsey Management Consultants, have been delegated to Washington D.C. Their objectives are to analyse the potential for cutting overhead and to define new revenue

sources. The team is currently working on an agenda which includes the following subjects: Organisation, Operational aspects, Sales and marketing, Business development, Supply management, Finance, IT, Human resources and Communication. Following a key meeting, the teams will work through various subjects with topics such as in-depth analysis, detailed on-the-spot research, priority definition, formulating target plans, preparation of feasibility studies, time schedules, deadline planning, consideration of alternative scenarios, development of introductory programmes and many other items. Starting at the end of October, and continuing through November and December, a steering committee will check whether progress towards the targets is being achieved, in both quantity and quality terms.

6 Swissreporter – The Swissport customer journal ■ November 1999

Focus on value creation and not integration alone! This professional approach should make it possible by the year 2001 to achieve a substantial increase in revenues and / or savings potential. To reach this objective, the following steps will be of prime importance: ● To build and extend a global customer portfolio throughout the combined system; ● To realise the targeted/budgeted EBIT improvements; ● To incorporate the better of two methods in the combined company; ● To create a winning spirit among our highly-motivated and dedicated staff, instilling a can-do mentality. The fact that these ambitious targets are already well known, that the proj-

ect has been identified and that various staff are already actively involved means that the second, and probably the more difficult, phase of the acquisition has already begun. If we can quickly achieve these ambitious goals, we can look ahead with confidence and use our already vast experience to create future forms of cooperation. Our mission is to have a worldwide presence and to be identified as the benchmark of ground handling organisations. Stephan Beerli C O N TA C T

Stephan Box Beerli, ViceNr.2 President Contact aus Marketing & Sales, Swissport International Ltd. CH-8058 Zurich Airport Phone: +41 1 812 49 50 Fax: +41 1 811 10 01 E-mail: [email protected]

INSIDE

SWISSPORT INTERNATIONAL ■ Who’s who in management

The contact partners

Andreas Bühlmann

Urs von Euw

CFO and Vice President Finance Phone +41 1 812 42 55 Fax +41 1 811 10 01 E-mail: abuehlma@sairgroup. com

CIO and Vice President IT Phone +41 1 812 43 94 Fax +41 1 811 10 02 E-mail: [email protected]

Andreas Bühlmann

Urs von Euw

Contact for All financial issues. Main responsibilities – Financial support and corporate evaluation for acquisition projects – Annual financial statements – Business plan and budget process – Preparation of financial accounting data for monthly reporting – In-house consultant for various projects of subsidiaries in Switzerland and abroad – Post-merger activities – Treasury and cash management – Taxation.

Contact for Information management and information technology issues. Main responsibilities – Information concepts and IT systems – Conducting contract negotiations with IT suppliers for worldwide licences and products – Guiding the business-to-IT alignment plan process – Implementing state-of-the-art resource management systems for airport operations (new IT platforms).

Stefan Resele

Peter Sturzenegger

Vice President Operations Phone +41 1 812 75 93 Fax +41 1 811 10 01 E-mail: [email protected]

Vice President Global Supply Mgmt.

Contact for Operations managers and quality managers of all Swissport International companies as well as customer airlines outside Switzerland. Main responsibilities – Support of companies outside Switzerland in all operating areas, including business plan creation – Responsible for the operational integration of new subsidiaries (postmerger/acquisition management) – Conclusion of ISO 9002 certification, quality management.

Contact for Local and int’l buyers as well as task force leader of new projects. Main responsibilities – Responsible worldwide for all procurement-relevant questions and processes – All processes in the value-creating chain of procurement – Post-merger activities – Contact with suppliers worldwide – Project management and coordination (reengineering programmes, cost savings and synergy potential).

Stefan Resele

Peter Sturzenegger

To simplify the process of making contact with the management of Swissport International, we are pleased to present you with the following listing of the company’s Executive Management, including their direct functions and responsibilities.

Joseph In Albon

Stephan Beerli

President and CEO Swissport International Phone +41 1 812 27 79 Fax +41 1 811 10 01 E-mail: [email protected]

Vice President Marketing & Sales Phone +41 1 812 49 50 Fax +41 1 811 10 01 E-mail: [email protected]

Contact for The executive managements of the subsidiary companies, existing and future partners, business development. Main responsibilities – Overall responsibility for Swissport International – Creation of strategies – Development of projects – Acquisitions and post-merger management.

Contact for Marketing managers of all Swissport companies, joint-venture partners and customer airlines in Switzerland and abroad. Main responsibilities – Support in sales and contractual issues (also multi-point agreements) – Preparation of management tools – Pricing and product definition – Communication, CD, CI – Post-merger activities.

Joseph In Albon

Stephan Beerli

w w w. s w i s s p o r t . c o m

Everything you always wanted to know about Swissport… Around the clock and all over the globe, the www.swissport.com website offers important and interesting data on ground handling.This information is continuously updated. So call up Swissport’s homepage on a regular basis for information about: • the worldwide Swissport network • latest openings of new stations • Swissport services and USPs • press releases • the Year 2000 issue • everything on ISO 9002 quality certification • facts and figures • partnership proposals • job opportunities • how to order documentation and offers and much more! www. swissport.com gives you the ability to browse through the fascinating world of ground handling on the Internet!

Phone +41 1 812 01 89 Fax +41 1 811 10 02 E-mail: [email protected]

The Swissport customer journal ■ November 1999 – Swissreporter 7

NETWORK

Anchorage

Seattle

Spokane Pasco

Worcester Grand Rapids Rochester Des Salt Lake City Boston Newburgh Moines Chicago Newark Reno New York Denver Kansas City Peoria Middletown Wrightstown Oakland Washington Arlington Wichita San Francisco St. Louis Richmond San Jose Las Vegas Nashville Norfolk Raleigh Durham Oklahoma Tulsa Los Angeles Greenville City Charlotte Columbia San Diego Phoenix Birmingham Dallas El Paso Austin Jackson San Antonio Sanford Houston Tampa Laredo Fort Myers Miami Brownsville Portland

Honolulu San Juan

Some of the more than 300 customers served by Swissport International around the world Adria Airways Aer Lingus Aeroflot Air Canada Air Engiadina Air India Air Lanka Air Littoral Air Malta Air Mauritius Air Nostrum Air One Air Seychelles Alitalia American Airlines AOM Asiana Airlines Austrian Airlines Avioimpex Balair / CTA Balkan Bulgarian Airlines Base Airlines British Airways British Midland Cathay Pacific China Airlines

Cie Corse Méditerrannée Croatia Airlines Crossair Cyprus Airways Czech Airlines Delta Air Lines Egyptair El Al Emery Worldwide Emirates Eurowings Finnair Iberia Icelandair Japan Airlines JAT KLM Korean Air Kuwait Airways Lauda Air LOT Lufthansa Luxair Maersk Air Malaysia Airlines Malev

Meridiana Mexicana Airlines Middle East Airlines Olympic Airways Pakistan International Regional Airlines Royal Air Maroc Royal Jordanian Sabena SAS Saudi Arabian Airlines Singapore Airlines Sobelair South African Airways Swissair Taca International Airlines TAP Air Portugal Tatra Air Thai Airways Tower Air Transbrasil Tunis Air Turkish Airlines Tyrolean Airways VASP

8 Swissreporter – The Swissport customer journal ■ November 1999

Manaus

Fortaleza Natal Recife

Lima

Salvador Brasilia

Rio de Janeiro São Paulo

NETWORK

Hamburg Berlin Frankfurt Stuttgart Munich Basel Zurich Lyon Geneva Montpellier Toulouse Nice Marseille Amsterdam London Düsseldorf

Khabarovsk

Corlu

Istanbul Trabzon Ankara Antalya Bodrum Adana Dalaman Izmir

Cagliari

Tel Aviv Cairo

Laoag Manila Cebu Davao

Nairobi

Johannesburg

Durban Cape Town

KEY FIGURES

Number of stations Number of customers Number of employees Revenue (USD) Passengers handled per year Aircraft handled per year

103 322 14 300 625 000 000 53 000 000 958 000

The Swissport customer journal ■ November 1999 – Swissreporter 9

AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL

INTERVIEW ■ With Karl-Heinz Neumeister, General Secretary, Association of European Airlines

Is there still hope for European airspace? In Brussels, Swissreporter editor Christian P. Somogyi interviewed the Secretary General of the Association of European Airlines, KarlHeinz Neumeister and asked him to comment on the critical situation of air traffic control in Europe.

Swissreporter: Most airlines regard the situation surrounding European air traffic control and the resultant enormous delays as disastrous. Swissair alone assesses its monthly costs resulting directly from delays at 3.4 million Swiss Francs. What’s the AEA’s opinion on this situation? Karl-Heinz Neumeister: One just can’t find the words that simply and plainly describe such a state of chaos and mismanagement. This situation began to build up in Europe ten years ago. At that time we at the AEA had already spoken up in very plain terms that separate air traffic control by individual member countries won’t lead to anything at all. In Europe, frontiers have been broken down in many sectors, but as far as air traffic is concerned, frontiers and the sovereign rights of states are still paramount, just as they were in mediaeval times. And nothing has been coordinated until now?

of Eurocontrol. It manages the slots according to their availability at the moment of departure. Every day passengers are experiencing the effects of the slot shortage management system. Very often they are already on board when the captain receives the message that he has to wait half an hour for the next available slot that clears his entire route. Such slot delays – measured in minutes – have increased this year. By 150% in April, for instance. In the long run this situation will become intolerable and will ruin the reliability of our airlines. Why can’t this situation be improved promptly? Because countries regard their airspace as sovereign and each prefers to make its own rules distinct from those of its neighbours. This produces interface problems which reduce the ef-

Very little! In the light of this predicament, the Central Flight Management Unit has been set up to introduce a kind of “slot shortage management”. This CFMU is an organisation

10 Swissreporter – The Swissport customer journal ■ November 1999

ficiency of the whole system.

So in upper airspace there’s no reason for bottlenecks? That’s right. The upper airspace only has bottlenecks because the ATCs of the individual nation states do not

“Eurocontrol is a tiger without teeth.” coordinate with each other. When Eurocontrol was created, it was intended to be an institution to control all the upper airspace in Europe from three control centres: Karlsruhe, Maastricht and Shannon. And why wasn’t this idea carried out? Perhaps it was because the French military found that Karlsruhe was situated on the wrong side of the Rhine! People did not like the idea of having to accept someone else meddling in their own national airspace. That’s why we have seen the step-by-step return to national control. The badlyneeded coordination was once again left to member states. Eurocontrol is very well aware of where the shortcomings exist, but does not have the authority to compel individual countries or their ATCs to change their systems or to increase their capacity for everybody’s benefit. The American media are nowadays

AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL The inefficiency in Europe has been estimated at USD 4.5 billion per year, not only by ourselves, but also by ECAC. But obviously, we are all champions in dealing with pain. Deregulation leads to more competition. Isn’t it inevitable that the air traffic control problem will be solved by liberalisation? Wouldn’t air traffic control actually opt for that solution?

Real bottlenecks on the ground, for instance in ground handling, are cleared up much more efficiently than pseudo-bottlenecks in the air.

alerting passengers to the considerable delays in European air traffic, which, in turn, lead to rerouting and subsequent losses for the airlines. How badly does European air traffic control compare with international standards? Compared with international standards we really are going from bad to worse. But that doesn’t mean that the

decides which airline is allowed to fly when and to where.

What do you identify as the main origin of Europe’s problems? The national monopolies in Europe have not found it necessary to cope with the enormous increase in air traffic. On the ground deregulation has been rapid with airlines and airports alike. Swissport itself is a very good example. But up in the air, everything is still business as usual! The need to adapt the existing infrastructure to the new requirements has been forgotten.The customer profits from a wider range of flights and is certainly happy about competitive pricing policies arising from deregulation, but while the present slot shortage management persists, prices will inevitably increase. This leads to a form of reregulation where slot management

These problems call for an urgent solution. What are the measures that have been taken so far?

Do you see any signs of improvement? We have carefully analysed the situation and have come to the conclusion that voluntary cooperation among the member states of Eurocontrol or ECAC will never be sufficient. The situation can be compared to the

“There is no bottleneck in the air. The airspace isn’t full, it is simply mismanaged.” U.S. is without its own problems.

It’s true that many from the telecommunications, utilities and postal services sectors believe in a free market. That has functioned very well. It will also function well with the air corridors. To realise these objectives, there is no other feasible mechanism than that of the European Community. The EC must endorse this solution to its member states.

We have ensured that this subject has been brought before the EC Council of the Ministry of Transport. This committee has been instructed to submit an analysis of how to improve ATC efficiency this year.

Can any positive act by the European Community produce the necessary progress? That would be marvellous.A political solution is urgently needed.We, in the European Community, at least have the opportunity to clear the regulatory hurdle. However, this also involves a tedious process. But in the end there must be a decision that, if need be, can be legally enforced.

“If in Europe one flies from one national airspace to another, it's often like leaving a four-lane highway in order to end up on a country road.”

The Association of European Airlines consists of 27 leading airlines, over 2000 aircraft and 392 000 staff serving 265 million passengers per annum.To become a member of the AEA, an airline has to have a certain size or be the Number One carrier of a European country. Being partners in dialogue with governments, and with the various civil aviation authorities organised in ECAC, the association’s area of activity is mainly political in nature. In its contacts with the European Commission, the AEA also plays the role of a lobbyist in the interests of the European airlines. Contact: Association of European Airlines, av. Louise 350, 1050 Brussels, tel. +32 2 639 89 89, fax +32 2 639 89 99, e-mail: [email protected]

In Swissair’s Zurich Operations Center, Daniel Weder, Vice President Operations Control, is confronted daily with one of his most difficult tasks:punctuality.By means of clear, detailed computer charts he demonstrates that Swissair achieved a very good record of punctuality during the previous three years.“In early 1999 the system deteriorated, but, as the figures prove, we are slowly but surely getting back on our feet.” Weder believes the main reason for this deterioration was the reorganisation of Swiss air corridors in February of this year, which coincided with the extreme snowfalls of last winter. “In addition,” explains Weder, “that reorganisation was badly prepared.” Now, in Switzerland all the parties concerned (representatives of the air traffic authorities, the military, airlines, general aviation and Swisscontrol) have come together in a concerted action to analyse the situation and to find

The legislative mechanism of the EC must be put at the service of Eurocontrol. When do you think the ATC situation in Europe will be consolidated to ensure satisfactory efficiency?

A E A – T H E A S S O C I AT I O N O F E U R O P E A N A I R L I N E S

Swissair’s Mr. Punctuality: Daniel Weder

What kind of solution do you anticipate?

Security Council of the United Nations. If powerful members don’t want something to happen, then it won’t happen.And that’s our agenda, day after day. The issues are put on the table, and are always shelved.

How long will the European airlines be prepared to accept their losses until something effective happens on the political scene?

FOCUS ON

Things will change only when crisis is at hand. As much as I wish for a rapid

ways and means for a quick solution.“On a pan-European scale the basic problem lies in the fact that slot allocations made at the biannual IATA conferences are established without consideration of what really happens on a given departure day!” In order to improve this situation, the Central Flow Management Unit (CFMU) in Brussels coordinates flight data and actually allocates slots as soon as a particular aircraft is ready for takeoff. Daniel Weder feels that real improvements can only be achieved by concentrating the European air traffic control activities at three or four ATC centres which would share standardised data systems. “This would also necessitate an expanded integrated network with shared access to data concerning airport management, ground handling and similar issues.”Daniel Weder expects markedly increased pressure on the decision-makers to come from the major airline alliances: “These alliances could be the driving force to bring about the changes we so urgently require!”

improvement in the present situation, both for ourselves and for our passengers, in one sense I would regret it. From experience I know that if this were to happen, everybody would return to a daily routine. Please, don’t get me wrong: I have long waited for this crisis, because only then will the media and the passengers and politicians start to do something about the problem. I have reached the limit of tolerance. As I have mentioned, ten years have already elapsed.Ten years! Before those responsible act, the CPS situation in air traffic control will have to become unbearable. Romano Prodi, the new President of the EuroThe Swissport customer journal ■ November 1999 – Swissreporter 11 pean Commission, pointed out in his inaugural address to the European Parliament that he intends to exercise

S W ISSASDPFO R T

News and views from all over ■ ISO 9002: Swissport: soon to be certificated worldwide By the end of spring 2000 Swissport will have virtually completed ISO 9002 certification. DynAir and Swissport South Africa are continuing to implement the Total Quality Management programme, which is to be expanded further. The new aviation bases in Lima and Manila are aiming for ISO certification early in 2000. Both quality assurance systems will allow us to continually define, monitor and guarantee quality and reliability. Certificated stations Zurich certificated Oct. 1998 Basel certificated Nov. 1998 Geneva certificated Jan. 1999 London certificated May 1999 Israel certificated May 1999 Recife certificated June 1999 Salvador certificated June 1999 Fortaleza certificated June 1999 Puerto Rico certificated Nov. 1999 Stuttgart certificated July 1999 Düsseldorf certificated July 1999 Hamburg certificated July 1999 Berlin certificated July 1999 Kenya certificated Aug. 1999 São Paulo certificated Aug. 1999 Rio de Janeiro certificated Aug. 1999 Manaus certificated Aug. 1999 Brasilia certificated Aug. 1999 Next to be certificated: Amsterdam Dec. 1999 Lyon Feb. 2000 Marseille Feb. 2000 Montpellier Feb. 2000 Nice Feb. 2000 Toulouse Dec. 1999 Johannesburg spring 2000

Cape Town spring 2000 Durban spring 2000 Lima spring 2000 Manila spring 2000

■ Swissport United Kingdom Swissport now number three at London Heathrow Swissport has acquired the ground handling operations of Aer Lingus at London’s Heathrow Airport, making it the airport’s number-three ground handler.Aer Lingus’s 1000 Heathrow ground handling staff will transfer to Swissport along with a customer base of some 25 airlines that includes Singapore Airlines, Japan Airlines and various Qualiflyer Group members. Joseph In Albon

■ Air Littoral Assistance: Full handling services at five of France’s largest airports Air Littoral Assistance, a Swissport International subsidiary, has won the rights to offer third-party ramp services at the airports in Marseille and Nice. The company now offers full handling services at five of France’s major airports: Nice, Marseille, Lyon, Toulouse and Montpellier. Jean-Luc Payot

■ Swissport: New company in Germany Swissport and Aviation Handling Services (AHS) are combining their handling activities to create Germany’s largest independent handling organisation. AHS, which is owned by the airlines LTU, Hapag-Lloyd and Germania, provides passenger handling services at seven airports. With its associated company “aerogate”, Swissport is currently operating at six airports. Until now Swissport’s main operation was providing handling services for scheduled flights, whereas AHS was mainly handling charter traffic. By combining their activities the traffic volume can be more evenly spread between the two companies, thus improving cost efficiency. The new

12 Swissreporter – The Swissport customer journal ■ November 1999

company will operate under the name of Swissport Deutschland, offering its clients full market coverage from its eleven bases of Frankfurt, Munich, Düsseldorf, Berlin (Tegel, Tempelhof and Schönefeld), Stuttgart, Hamburg, Cologne, Hanover and Leipzig. The Managing Director of Swissport Deutschland will be Thomas Neff. Joseph In Albon

■ Comax: Swissport introduces a new IT tool worldwide Any company like Swissport needs IT instruments to ensure effective communication, to support business processes and to provide an information management system. So Swissport managers were aware of the necessity to equip their staff with the most advanced technology, allowing them to efficiently carry out their daily assignments. Swissport has used the Lotus Notes solution for its corporate communications. This is an important existing platform for aiding further development. Atraxis AG and InaLog Informatik Management AG jointly developed the proposed solution, which was also worked on by a team composed of internal and external experts. This new IT tool consists of a number of different functions and programme sections: Address Info System (Atraxis Office) A storage programme for any number of customer addresses and contacts, categorised according to various parameters. Activity Info System (Atraxis Office) Enables access to activity folders. Activity records such as telephone memos, letters, fax messages and e-mails are prepared and monitored in these folders. Contract Management (Atraxis Contract) This module allows direct downloading of contract models established in MS Word. Management and cost estimates can then be prepared using the Lotus Notes database. This will provide substantial data and information for each carrier.

Reporting System Monthly turnover figures and the quality standards for each station and each carrier are recorded.Management is supplied with continuously-updated figures from the entire Swissport world. Latest News This is the internal Swissport information board. All linked partners have immediate access to the latest news. Comax is a centrally-processed database that allows all connected Swissport operations access to complete and up-to-the-minute data, guaranteeing a high degree of corporate transparency. This enables the companies to independently work with regularly updated data. Rolf Scheiber ([email protected])

■ Serlipsa Swissport S.A.: Now active in Lima One additional spot has just been added to the Swissport intercontinental network. Since the end of September 1999, Swissport has also been active in Lima, Peru, at Jorge Chavez Airport. This operation is the result of a 30% equity stake in Serlipsa, the local ground-handling company in Lima. For the time being, the team of 104 employees performs ramp handling for major customers such as Avianca, Aeromexico, Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Copa, Challenger, Cielos de Peru, Saeta and Servivensa. Dieter Altenburger

S W ISSASDPFO R T

the world and data transfer (wireless LANs), will be employed in the new processes. Equally, great importance will be given to the further development of staff training. Bruno Riesen

■ Debut in Asia Joint venture between Miascor and Swissport

Swissport Basel received three pushback tractors and four new stairways.

■ Swissport Basel

■ Swissport Zurich

New towbarless tractors and new stairways

Smart: process reengineering

Swissport Basel has received three brand-new pushback tractors. The Goldhofer AST-3 is designed to push back any aircraft up to the size of a Boeing 757. Version AST-2 takes any wide-bodied aircraft except the Boeing 747. Its unique technology is revolutionising the pushback operation: instead of hooking up a towbar to the front wheel of the aircraft, the Goldhofer design lifts the front wheel with hydraulic pressure onto a little platform inside the specially-designed truck. After a short period of training the pushback can be performed by one person alone. The total investment came to approximately 900 000 Swiss Francs. Swissport Basel also acquired four new stairways, which have just been delivered. These FMC stairs are even capable of reaching the rear-end doors of the A340. The maximum height that can be reached is 5.80 metres.

In order to cope with rapid growth and yet still be able to handle fre-

Georges Peter

■ Swissport Brazil Latest addition to the equipment fleet

Swissport International Ltd. is now established in Asia. In June of this year Swissport acquired 40% of Miascor Ground Handling Corporation in the Philippines, formally launching its first station in this part of the world. Miascor was first established in the 1980s when the Philippine government initiated the merger of four small handling companies in Manila. The company has grown over the years and has been providing not only ground

handling (pasquent bottlenecks, it will be necessary not only to create suitable new infrastructures but also to simplify and streamline internal processes. That is why the “Smart” business reengineering project was introduced at Swissport Zurich a few months ago. Innovative and creative procedures are employed to analyse existing processes and to define target objectives, among which consideration of the customers’ needs is pre-eminent. The newly-developed procedures will ensure increased operational efficiency to enable Swissport to remain an attractive partner for its airline clients in the new millennium. In attaining this objective, Swissport was assisted by the management consultants Knoepfel & Partner AG. The most advanced technologies, especially in the field of mobile communications

senger and ramp) services but also cargo handling, warehousing, aircraft maintenance and catering. Its strength is found in the quality of the dedicated passenger service agents who wear the uniform of the airline they serve. This ensures efficiency in the airline’s products, high standards of customer service and the projection of the airline’s image. Ramp services are of the highest quality, being

provided by well-trained and experienced ramp personnel and by equipment operators supported by firstclass ground services equipment, which averages 98% serviceability. Miascor today is the largest ground handling service provider in the Philippines, serving 42% of all foreign airlines’ flights in the country. Apart from Manila, Miascor also operates in Cebu, Davao and Laoag. It also provides services at Clark in collaboration with Pacific Jet Aviation International and will soon be operating in Subic. In 1997 management spun-off its service units, thus creating Miascor Ground Handling Corporation to provide passenger and ramp services, Miascor Logistics Corporation to handle the cargo needs of the airlines, and Miascor Aircraft Maintenance Corporation (Airmac) to meet the aircraft maintenance requirements of its customers. Miascor Catering Corporation, a joint venture with Gate Gourmet, Malaysia Airlines and Kuwait Aviation Services, became operational this year. René Sayo

MIASCOR/SWISSPORT KEY FIGURES (1998)

Revenue Aircraft handled Customer airlines served Employees

USD 7 million 7 589 22 1 180

Swissport Brazil has acquired the first pushback tractor ever built in Latin America with the capability to push the full range of widebody aircraft such as the Boeing 747-400, A340-300 and MD-11 when fully loaded. The new AF4433 tractor was developed by Rucker Equipamentos Industriais Ltda. in close cooperation with Swissport and complies with the highest international technological standards. Dieter Altenburger

Swissport Brazil recently took delivery of the first pushback tractor ever built in Latin America.

The Swissport customer journal ■ November 1999 – Swissreporter 13

C U S T OSMAEDRF V O I C E

LUFTHANSA ■ Contract extension for Swissport Geneva S.A.

IMPRESSUM Published by:

Swissport International Ltd. – an SAirServices company

“Geneva is absolutely essential for us!” That is why Lufthansa requires exacting quality standards from its Geneva handling agent. Swissreporter interviewed Werner Rösch, the German carrier’s Station Manager in Geneva.

Swissreporter: Mr. Rösch, how important is Geneva to Lufthansa? Werner Rösch: With 14 flights daily and an annual throughput of 200 000 passengers, Lufthansa considers Geneva to be a station of sizable importance. Geneva and its international organisations offer a demanding First Class and Business Class clientele and provide an essential feeder function for our long-haul flights departing from Frankfurt and Munich.

have become Swissport’s most important client.

pletely rid themselves of the old Swissair mentality.

So your handling agent has always been Swissair, later Swissair Ground Services and now Swissport Geneva S.A. Could you identify any differences between them?

What do you mean by that?

We have always been satisfied with the ground handling service that has been provided. However, for us as clients, an independent Swissport Geneva S.A. is the best of all possible developments. In what sense? Today, Swissport employees have more freedom to make their own decisions and are therefore much more customer-oriented.

I am thinking of air traffic irregularities, where in the past a customer was quickly re-routed via Zurich. The situation today calls for abandoning old habits so as to achieve what is best for the airline customer. I’m saying this only because you have asked for criticism. Is everyone receptive to such criticism? How good is the response to such special requests? Very receptive. We have excellent cooperation at all levels as well as a flexible response to our requests.

Swissport helps us a lot on the operational side, also on the apron. There were some communication problems between our captains and the ramp staff. In fact, proficiency in English here in Geneva was initially not as good as in Zurich or elsewhere.Here,too,Swissport reacted promptly. Upon our suggestion they decided to offer English language courses to ramp personnel and created a “Dedicated Ramp Team” for Lufthansa. Recently, you renewed your handling contract until 2001. This was certainly not done without good Werner Rösch, Lufthansa Station Manager in Geneva: “You can’t make an omelette without break- reason… ing eggs – anyone who works will make mistakes. But the overall performance of Swissport has We are, as I’ve already reached a high level of excellence and we are really very pleased with it.”

30 years ago we only had two Lufthansa flights daily from Geneva to Frankfurt. We were a small niche carrier at that time, handled by Swissair. Now we have achieved the fourthlargest market share in Geneva and

Can you give us a concrete example? At the moment we have a big problem with delays throughout Europe and in Geneva. Swissport personnel are very flexible and react promptly to exceptional situations. Are there also points to be criticised? Not many! Perhaps it’s sometimes difficult for the “old hands” to com-

14 Swissreporter – The Swissport customer journal ■ November 1999

Stephan Beerli, Vice President Marketing & Sales, Swissport International Ltd. E-mail: [email protected] Editor-in-chief:

Christian P. Somogyi E-mail: [email protected] Contributors to this issue:

Dieter Altenburger Stephan Beerli Joseph In Albon Jean-Luc Payot Georges Peter René Rausenberger Bruno Riesen René Sayo Rolf Scheiber Christian P. Somogyi Andrea Wehrli Translations:

Peter Bierwirth and SAirGroup Translations Layout and art direction:

Caroline Lipp, DAZ

How do you see things in other sectors – passenger service, for example?

It has been 40 years since Lufthansa first landed in Geneva. You personally can look back on 30 years experience at Geneva Airport. What has changed for you during that time?

Publisher:

said, very satisfied with the performance of Swissport as our ground handling agent. What also helped us take this decision were the favourable contractual terms on which the parties agreed. Mr. Rösch, thank you very much for this interview. Interview and photos: Christian P. Somogyi

Printing:

DAZ, Druckerei Albisrieden AG Zurich Editorial and production office:

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Free subscriptions are available for management personnel of airlines and other selected companies. Please send your subscription registration, together with your full address, to the Swissreporter Information Desk. Changes of address:

Please send details of any change of address (by returning your mailing label with the changes clearly indicated) and any other correspondence regarding subscriptions to the Swissreporter Information Desk, fax: +41 1 811 10 01. Printed in Switzerland © 1999 Swissport International Ltd., Zurich Airport, Switzerland Swissreporter Information Desk:

Phone: +41 1 812 49 54 Fax: +41 1 811 10 01 Internet: www.swissport.com

BEFORE YOU GO… C O N TA C T S

FROM THE TOP

Swissport in Switzerland Head office Swissport International Ltd., Joseph In Albon, President & CEO, P.O. Box, 8058 Zurich Airport, [email protected], tel.: +41 1 812 27 79, fax: +41 1 811 10 01, SITA: ZRHDISR Swissport International Ltd., Stephan Beerli, Vice President Marketing & Sales, P.O. Box, 8058 Zurich Airport, [email protected], tel.: +41 1 812 49 50, fax: +41 1 811 10 01, SITA: ZRHOXSR Swissport International Ltd., Thomas Neff, Vice President Business Development, P.O. Box, 8058 Zurich Airport, [email protected], tel.: +41 1 812 27 24, fax: +41 1 811 10 01, SITA: ZRHDISR(as of January 2000 CEO of Swissport Germany) Swissport International Ltd., Andy Bühlmann, Vice President Finance, P.O. Box, 8058 Zurich Airport, [email protected], tel.: +41 1 812 42 55, fax: +41 1 811 10 01, SITA: ZRHOXSR Swissport International Ltd., Urs von Euw, Chief Information Officer, P.O. Box, 8058 Zurich Airport, [email protected], tel.: + 41 1 812 43 94, fax: + 41 1 811 10 02, SITA: ZRHOXSR Swissport International Ltd., Peter Sturzenegger, Vice President Global Supply Management, P.O. Box, 8058 Zurich Airport, [email protected], tel: + 41 1 812 01 89, fax: + 41 1 811 10 02, SITA: ZRHDISR Swissport International Ltd., Stefan Resele, Vice President Operations, P.O. Box, 8058 Zurich Airport, [email protected], tel: + 41 1 812 75 93, fax: + 41 1 811 10 01, SITA: ZRHDISR

Switzerland Swissport Zürich AG, Willy Hallauer, President & CEO, P.O. Box, 8058 Zurich Airport, [email protected], tel.: +41 1 812 61 70, fax: +41 1 812 91 95, SITA: ZRHKSSR Swissport Genève SA, Ernst Hochuli, President & CEO, P.O. Box, 1215 Geneva Airport, [email protected], tel.: +41 22 799 30 10, fax: +41 22 799 31 67, SITA: GVAOKSR Swissport Basel AG, Georges Peter, President & CEO, P.O. Box, 4030 Basel Airport, [email protected], tel.: +41 61 325 23 00, fax: +41 61 325 23 07, SITA: BSLKSSR

Swissport around the world Brazil Swissport Brazil Ltda., Dieter Altenburger, President & CEO, Av. Vinte de Janeiro s/n, Via de Serviço – Rua T/103, Ilha do Governador, 21941-570 Rio de Janeiro – RJ, [email protected], tel.: +55 21 398 59 34, fax: +55 21 398 59 32, SITA: GIGKXSR

Egypt EAS Egyptian Aviation Services, Klaus Schmidt, General Manager, Cairo International Airport Terminal 2, Arrival Hall,Cairo, tel.: +20 2 291 89 27, fax: +20 2 291 89 26

France Air Littoral Assistance, Marc Lemaître / Jean-Luc Payot, CEOs, Aéroport Nice Côte d’Azur, Terminal T1-Bât. 4, 06281 Nice Cedex 3, [email protected], [email protected], tel.: +33 4 93 21 82 50, fax: +33 4 93 21 82 51, SITA: NCEDSFU

Germany aerogate (Berlin-Tegel, Düsseldorf, Hamburg), Werner Teubner/Hermann Delliehausen, President & CEO, P.O. Box 231533, 85324 Munich Airport, [email protected], [email protected], tel.: +49 89 9759 23 01, fax: +49 89 9759 20 06, SITA: MUCXG8X

Swissport: big and beautiful? This edition of Swissreporter contains detailed information about the acquisition of DynAir.This acquisition has allowed us to take a decisive step towards expansion while giving us a partner whose notions of professionalism, customer relations and awareness of the need for quality allow them to fit perfectly into our Swissport family. By end of 1999 Swissport’s worldwide stations will largely have completed certification to ISO 9002 standards. Meanwhile DynAir and Swissport South Africa are working on an extensive Total Quality Management (TQM) programme that is to be further expanded. Both quality assurance systems will allow us to define, control and assure quality and reliability on a permanent basis. Swissport – big and beautiful? Big, indeed, what with our presence on four continents, in 17 countries and at some 100 destinations. When you add to this our assumption of Aer Lingus’s Heathrow ground handling operation in the near future, our initial investments in Asian companies and our further expansion in South America, it is clear that we have been promoted to the league of global players. What do we mean by beautiful when we talk about ground handling? For me it means the quality of service, reliability, and dedication to the needs of our customers, all at a competitive price.We are able to reach this ambitious objective because of the quality of our personnel around the world, who are determined to give our customers nothing but the best, and thanks to our highly motivated managers who measure their personal success in terms of customer satisfaction. With these assets Swissport possesses all that is required to become truly “big and beautiful” in the ground handling business. And we shall never give up in our efforts to reach that goal. Joseph In Albon, President & CEO Swissport International Ltd.

aerogate (Frankfurt, Stuttgart), Hermann Delliehausen, President & CEO, P.O. Box 14, Terminal 2, 60549 Frankfurt, [email protected], tel.: +41 79 205 78 89, fax: +41 1 812 91 95, SITA: ZRHKSSR aerogate Munich, Werner Teubner / Roger Scheifele, President & CEO, P.O. Box 231533, 85324 Munich Airport, [email protected], [email protected], tel.: +49 89 9759 23 01, fax: +49 89 9759 20 06, SITA: MUCXG8X

Israel Q.A.S. – Quality Airport Services, Yossi Raviv, President & CEO, P.O. Box 136, Ben Gurion International Airport 70100, [email protected], tel.: +972 3 973 11 91, fax: +972 3 973 03 65, SITA: TLVKKCR

Kenya AirSide Ltd. / Swissport Kenya, Olav Everts, CEO, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Unit 2, P.O. Box 44549, Nairobi, [email protected], tel.: +254 2 82 20 20, fax: +254 2 82 23 29, SITA: NBOKSSR

The Netherlands Dutchport vof, Jürg Schumacher, President & CEO, WTC-Schiphol Boulevard 181, 1118 BG Luchthaven Schiphol, [email protected], tel.: +31 20 405 94 01, fax: +31 20 405 94 30

Peru Serlipsa, Alfonso Garcia-Miro, CEO, Av. E. Faucett 4800, Callao, [email protected], tel.: +51 1 484 01 11, fax: +51 1 574 23 00

Puerto Rico Swissport Puerto Rico Inc., Jacques Delessert, President & CEO, 150 Carr. Sector Central, Suite 14, L.M.M. International Airport, Carolina, P.R. 00979, [email protected], tel.: +1 787 791 48 28, fax: +1 787 791 30 95, SITA: SJUKKSR

South Africa Swissport South Africa (Pty) Ltd., Armin Unternährer, CEO, P.O. Box 111, Johannesburg International Airport 1627, [email protected] tel.: +27 11 928 85 27, fax: +27 11 928 85 47, SITA: JNBOWXH

Turkey Havas, Jean-Didier Savioz, President & CEO, Prof. Nurettin Öktem Sk.No.2, 80260 Sisli – Istanbul, [email protected], tel.: +90 212 233 24 84, fax: +90 212 233 38 53, SITA: ISTGMXH

United Kingdom Swissport U.K. Ltd., Carl Grey, President & CEO, Room 2411, Terminal 2, Heathrow Airport Hounslow, Middlesex, TW61HG, United Kingdom, [email protected], tel.: +44 181 754 91 22, fax: +44 181 759 78 26, SITA: LHRKSSR

USA

The Philippines

DynAir Ground Services Group, Patrick G. Deasy, President, P.O. Box 16300, 300 West Service

Miascor, Juan C. Paraiso III, President & CEO, 4th Floor, IPT Building, NAIA, Pasay City 1300, [email protected], tel.: +632 552 4033, fax: +632 552 4134, SITA: MNLAMXH

Road, Washington, DC 20041-6300, [email protected], tel.: +703 742 43 01, fax: +703 742 43 21, SITA: DCADYXH

The Swissport customer journal ■ November 1999 – Swissreporter 15

We look local but we think Swissport.

Philippines

Puerto Rico

Switzerland

Italy

United States

France

Kenya

Israel

Russia

South Africa

Netherlands

Brazil

Peru

Swissport provides world-class ground handling services to 322 airlines at over 100 airports in 17 countries around the globe. The big difference is people who care – from landing to take-off! We invite you to contact us. Phone: +41 1 812 49 50, Fax: +41 1 811 10 01, [email protected], www.swissport.com

Germany

United Kingdom

Turkey

Egypt