Iberia’s ramp handling contracts at major Spanish airports have been reassigned to other operators. The company no longer provides ground support at Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Malaga and Alicante, while Madrid–Barajas remains under the Aena umbrella after the winner was announced on Tuesday amid intense competition valued at five billion euros for a seven-year term. A total of 41 licenses were renewed across 43 airports, with airport authority sources confirming the figure. The bidding attracted 168 proposals from 15 firms, including two heliport sites, reflecting broad interest from a diverse group of operators.
The ramp handling category covers baggage handling, guidance for runway operations, and assistance for cargo and mail, as well as passenger and crew movement between the terminal and the aircraft. Fuel handling is not part of this tender.
Iberia’s parent group, IAG, will discontinue third-party ramp services at the four airports noted, along with Alicante, Gran Canaria, Tenerife South, Ibiza and Bilbao. Iberia expressed surprise at the outcome and said it would review results at any airport where a license was not granted, pursuing the appropriate steps as needed. The airline highlighted its punctuality rate of 99.5 percent and high customer satisfaction, noting that it operates with select partners at airports where licenses were lost. It reported a highly competitive financial offer at these sites and announced plans to expand its fleet with electric vehicles, having already secured a license for this purpose. The company pledged to invest more than 120 million euros in new equipment to renew over 80 percent of its fleet and aims to reach net zero emissions at all airports by 2025.
Iberia reserves the right to challenge any airport where a license was not granted. This stance relates to the group’s operating model and its affiliates, including Vueling, Level and British Airways. The market for ground handling within Aena’s network shows that about 31 percent is managed in-house or through airline self-management, while roughly 69 percent is delivered by third parties and dedicated operators. The latest distribution update places Iberia’s market share in handling services at about 31 percent, with 35 percent attributed to auto-management and 8 percent to third-party services.
Aviapartner and Menzies
At airports where Iberia lost licenses, the newly assigned operators include Aviapartner and Groundforce (Globalia) in Palma de Mallorca, along with Menzies and Swissport. The competitive process continues after the entry of a Belgian ground services partner and now counts 15 companies operating across 53 airports in seven countries. The expansion focuses specifically on six Spanish airports: Madrid, Barcelona, Malaga and Alicante, plus Gran Canaria and Tenerife South. The arrival of Menzies Aviation in Spain marks a notable growth for a company already serving more than 218 airports worldwide and holding licenses at seven Spanish sites including Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Malaga, Alicante, Gran Canaria and Tenerife South.
Overall, Iberia demonstrates the strongest regional footprint with five licenses covering 29 airports. Ground handling at other networks includes Land Forces and Globalia with 11 licenses across 12 airports, Aviation Partner with 13 licenses across 15 airports, Menzies with seven licenses across seven airports, and Unity License Holders at Seville, a joint venture formed by Iberia Handling and Clece, Swissport at Palma de Mallorca, and WFS at Vitoria. Ceuta and Algeciras remain without an operator in the automated transaction segment, though this poses no immediate concern given the current market structure.
Across large airports, three major providers handle services, while two providers cover mid-sized locations and one supplier serves the smallest locations. New licenses are set to take effect early in 2024, with the Canary Islands schedule to begin the following summer.
Replacement of the template
License recipients will take over all existing ramp service personnel at the affected sites, totaling around 11,290 employees according to Aena. The allocation process relies on clear criteria, giving technical proposals a 65 percent weight and economic offers 35 percent. Bidders’ plans reflect what many see as a significant shift in the current setup. Notably, around 80 percent of the operator fleet is expected to be electric in 2024, rising to 88 percent by 2030. The 2024 sustainable fleet target is 99.23 percent, with a complete transition to electric power anticipated by 2030. Moreover, baggage handling delivery times are improving and are projected to drop by about 20 percent, all without raising airline charges and with an average discount of six percent on the current maximum ramp rates.