The Southern Bavaria Air Authority wants to outsource the handling of aircraft at Munich Airport to a new service provider. The license of the previous ground handler Swissport Losch will not be extended after the seven-year contract expires on March 1, 2024, as the government of Upper Bavaria announced on Friday. The authority did not say which company will be responsible for handling the machines in the future, as the procurement process has not yet been completed.
In its own statement, Swissport Losch complained bitterly about the decision and warned of impending danger to the airport’s “operational stability”, including “negative economic effects for the city of Munich, the Upper Bavaria region and the Free State of Bavaria”. The government does not see proper operations at risk: “We do not share the concerns of the losing applicant Swissport Losch about the “operational stability” of Munich Airport,” the statement said. “In this context, we would like to point out that Swissport Losch itself took over the new license 14 years ago, but without any impact on the operational stability of the airport.”
The tasks previously undertaken by Swissport Losch also include baggage handling. In the summer of 2022 there were major problems with left-behind luggage at Munich Airport. At times, tens of thousands of suitcases were piled up and there was a hail of complaints from passengers. It is not clear from the government’s announcement whether the air authority holds Swissport Losch responsible for this and whether this played a role in the decision. The company said it was “only responsible for one to five percent” at Munich Airport.
According to the government, ground handling does not include security checks, including the inspection of hand luggage and luggage.