Schiphol has begun the tender process for a selection of three ground handling companies to handle baggage processes and work around the aircraft, including the loading and unloading of baggage, placement of chocks under aircraft wheels and connection of ground power units.
The tender aims to improve quality of service at the airport, as well as ensure better working conditions for employees on site by outsourcing processes and intentionally choosing specific partners.
It follows a decision from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management to work with a select group of handling companies, which will see the chosen parties work at Schiphol under a concession agreement based on contracts entered into with airlines.
Bosses at Schiphol have stated that reducing the number of handling companies will offer the opportunity for smarter and more efficient organisation, with ground handling companies expected to make more joint use of handling equipment, creating space on the apron and reducing any unnecessary additional resource use.
Further requirements will also be set on working conditions for employees, as well as the quality of service, with travellers anticipated to notice this in the form of shorter wait times for baggage on arrival.
The tender requirements have been developed in collaboration with airlines, handlers, stakeholders and the trade union.
Patricia Vitalis, Chief Operations Officer at Schiphol said:
It is important that we work more closely with ground handling companies in order to be a top-quality airport. By limiting the number of parties and carefully selecting them, we gain more control over the quality of service, quality of work, safety and cooperation. The focus for everyone involved in this process is the employee.A tender can be an uneasy period for them, which is why we are doing everything we can to ensure that this process runs smoothly and transparently.
In order to ensure a smooth transition; handling companies represented by the WPBL (Werkgeversvereniging Passagiers- en Bagageafhandeling Luchtvaart), the FNV trade union and Schiphol itself have signed an additional collective labour arrangement agreement.
Loek Hermans, Chair of the Schiphol Ground Handling Committee (SGHC) said:By signing this covenant, Aviapartner, dnata, Menzies, Swissport, Viggo (represented in the WPBL), the FNV trade union and Schiphol are making a clear commitment.
We are agreeing to handle the transition resulting from the tendering process with care and to ensure clear agreements that offer certainty to employees. KLM is subject to agreements within its own organisation.
The tendering process is set to be carried out within the framework of Europen legislation, with the tender now publicly available and set to be completed in the third quarter of 2026. It will be followed by a transition period, ensuring all new collaborations can begin in the first quarter of 2027.
All new contracts have a term of seven years.
