Aviator on course to become Finnair’s largest handling provider for Helsinki operations
Having successfully partnered with Finnair in previous seasons to provide services at Helsinki airport, Aviator Airport Alliance, a full-range provider of aviation services at 15 airports across the Nordics, is now on course to become Finnair’s largest handling provider at Helsinki Airport. The term of this new agreement between Aviator and Finnair will be effective from April 1st, 2021 and will expand the company’s previous de-icing partnership with the airline and now provide ground handling services for Finnair’s Airbus fleet traffic, including all long-haul operations.
Jukka-Pekka Kujala, Managing Director at Aviator Airport Services Finland Oy, expanded on the partnership addressing that “the 2020 season has pushed Aviator to adapt and optimize its operations in response to the obstacles brought in from the pandemic. It is the firm and established partnerships such as the one we share with Finnair, that allows the company to fulfill our ambitions and the ambitions of our clients together and aligned with the market’s changing environment. We are happy to extend our ground handling partnership with the airline, and their choice in us, as a flexible partner and in supporting their way out of Covid.”
Finnair operates a fleet of 61 Airbus 319/320/321/330/350s which will now be handled by Aviator. This will include providing the airline with ramp services such as luggage and freight handling and aircraft servicing at Helsinki airport as the industry emerges into the spring of 2021. “The new partnership will bring us the flexibility that we need as we gradually increase flying. It is estimated that it will take commercial aviation 2-3 years to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic’s impacts,” says Jukka Glader, VP Ground Operations at Finnair.
Jo Alex Tanem, the CEO of Aviator, expressed the company’s delight in the development stating, “Aviator’s ongoing collaboration with Finnair has proved to be beneficial for both client and service provider especially under the current market conditions. It is to our delight that this new agreement furthers our partnership with the airline, allowing Aviator to handle all of their Airbus operations and cementing the company’s presence as the leading ground handling service provider in the Nordics.” Additionally, Jo Alex went on to add that “it is the backing and support from our new relationship with Avia Solutions Group PLC that has bolstered the company’s operations and secured our position in the market as a stable and growing ground handling service provider.”