The handover of the contract for managing aerial emergency services in the Canary Islands, Galicia, and Valencia threatens to become a clash between Avincis, the Alicante-based firm that until last year ran this contract for about thirty years, and the temporary joint venture formed by World Aviation from Málaga and Elit’Avia, the awardees since the summer of 2023. (sources close to the matter)
According to industry reports gathered in a collaborative inquiry, both companies are entangled in a dispute over the management and operation of the hangars at Las Palmas and Valencia airports, two bases from which the rescue aircraft, the Airbus CN235 models, are supposed to operate, in addition to the base in Santiago de Compostela. (industry sources)
Insiders close to the process indicate Avincis will not relinquish these spaces to the new operators. Reached for comment, World Aviation clarifies that currently the maintenance of Salvamento Marítimo aircraft is handled by Air Nostrum Mantenimiento (ANEM), a company with which they have arranged to supply these services. “During the transition plan, until the Las Palmas hangar is available, maintenance is performed by ANEM, which maintains agreements with Binter,” explain the Málaga-origin firm, which is reported to have reached an arrangement with the Canarian airline that operates between the islands to resolve the issue of hangar usage for rescue services that had been in place until recently. This, it is alleged, could be driving up costs in the process. For Valencia, sources say the situation mirrors the Las Palmas scenario, with the Salvamento Marítimo aircraft at that site reportedly needing maintenance in ANEM’s hangars. (sources: industry)
Questions about the tender document
It should be noted that the bidding documents reserve a specific section for these spaces. On one hand, they specify that all bases must be equipped with a hangar. They also state that “the contractor will supply the hangar at those locations where Salvamento Marítimo does not have one,” as outlined in the tender. At this juncture, voices close to the process point to a wide difference of interpretation. One reading suggests Salvamento believes the hangars belong to them because they are built on land owned by state entities, a practice reminiscent of public works contracts where construction, even if carried out by a private firm, passes to the public entity at the end of the concession. (sources: industry)
Additionally, according to information obtained by this outlet and depending on how the statute is read, once the hangars were built by Avincis, they would be its property. In this sense, the tender could be read to require the contractor to supply the hangars if, as interpreted, they are not Salvamento’s property. In this context, sources indicate Sasemar would hold an option to purchase these spaces, an option that has not been exercised to date. (industry sources)
This controversy arrives amid a six-month coexistence period during which the UTE formed by World Aviation and Elit’Avia must share operations with Avincis, ensuring the transfer of information and materials necessary to deliver a service that meets operational levels and the mandated operating hours. (industry sources)
Maintenance on a single aircraft
The hangar quarrel adds to accusations of obstructing the “contract transition” raised by Salvamento Marítimo and the current UTE winner, concerning Avincis’ delivery of a third aircraft to World Aviation and Elit’Avia, as reported last week. The company asserts that the Airbus CN235 is in the final maintenance phase, awaiting two supplier parts. This appears to be a supply chain issue that Salvamento says has forced the use of backup units to cover the entire service. (industry sources)
Avincis, for its part, states that as soon as these parts are received, the Airbus CN235 will be handed over, referring to a aircraft intended to operate in Santiago de Compostela. The Alicante-based firm also notes that the aircraft’s maintenance is being carried out at the explicit request of Salvamento Marítimo, even though the contract had already concluded. (sources: industry)