CzeCh airlines - České aerolinie

Subsidiary companies
annual report 2010 | 34
Czech Airlines Handling
A Word from the Executive Director
The year 2010 was the first year in which passenger check-in and aircraft handling
were handled by an independent subsidiary Company of Czech Airlines, Czech Airlines
Handling. The beginnings of the Company (under the name ČSA Support, s.r.o.) go all
the way back to 1998. Originally, however, the Company only provided cleaning services
for aircraft and buildings and transport. Handling was the first Czech Airlines activity
that was hived off to a subsidiary in line with the new strategy. The results from 2010
indicate that Czech Airlines Handling operations are an area of business with great
potential.
The year 2010 was marked by two events demanding an urgent response. In April 2010,
the Company was paralyzed by the closure of Prague Airport in connection with the volcanic
dust cloud over Europe. Later, in July 2010, we had to launch the reorganization of
the Company due to the changes in the concept of the Czech Airlines transport network.
These became more prominent in the winter flight timetable 2010/2011. In this regard,
it was necessary to optimize the number of employees of the individual operating units
and completely overhaul the organizational structure.
In the course of last year, the Company had to defend its position as the supplier of
handling services to six airline companies. I am pleased to say that we managed to
retain our market position and, on top of that, we acquired five important new customers.
In the medium-term horizon, we will face the combination of handling activities
with Prague Airport. We want to develop our activities not only in the field of passenger
check-in and aircraft handling, but in transport as well. Czech Airlines has
a good name in the handling services industry and can boast a high standard of
services. In the future we want to maintain our good image and do our best for our
customers’ satisfaction.
Martin Štolba
Executive of Czech Airlines Handling, s.r.o.
Profile of the Company – main activities
Czech Airlines Handling, s.r.o. is in charge of the handling of passengers, aircraft, cargo
and mail – not just for Czech Airlines, but on the routes of other airlines as well. Thanks
to its state-of-the-art facilities and experienced personnel, every year it handles more
than half the aircraft and passengers at Prague Airport.
The Company also provides non-contractual handling and cleaning services for aircraft
and buildings; it operates passenger and cargo transport and carries out maintenance
work on vehicles and mechanical equipment, again not just within the Czech Airlines
Group but for external customers as well.
Besides Prague, Czech Airlines Handling has sold air tickets and has been involved in
operational ticketing at airports in Ostrava and Karlovy Vary since 2010.
Handling of passengers, aircraft, cargo and mail
In the field of handling of passengers and aircraft on Czech Airlines routes, as well as
routes of other airline carriers, Czech Airlines Handling maintained its high standards in
2010, as demonstrated by the results of audits of airlines. In all, the Company handled
6,935,057 departing and arriving passengers at Prague Airport. Czech Airlines Handling
managed to retain its share of the overall output of Prague Airport, i.e. 60% of handled
passengers and 63.65% of the number of handled departures and arrivals of aircraft.
In 2010, Czech Airlines Handling renewed handling contracts with Aerosvit Airlines,
Austrian Airlines, China Airlines, Lufthansa, Malev – Hungarian Airlines, SAS
Scandinavian Airlines and Swiss International Air Lines. Despite the fiercely competitive
environment in the field of handling services at Prague Airport, Czech Airlines Handling
won tenders, e.g. with Azerbaijan Airlines, Cypruss Airways, HOLIDAYS Czech Airlines,
Central Connect Airlines Job Air and Yangtze River Express.
In 2010, the new Collaborative Decision Making Project (CDM) was tested. The rationale
behind the project is a modern and effective concept for airport operation, based on
the exchange and sharing of data among the main partners at Prague Airport (Prague
Airport, Air Navigation Services, Czech Airlines, Czech Airlines Handling and Menzies
Aviation Group). Its full deployment is planned for the summer of 2011.
Czech Airlines Handling also provides specific activities like de-icing and prevention of
ice build-up, not only for the Czech Airlines and HOLIDAYS Czech Airlines fleets, but
also for aircraft of external carriers. In 2010, 3,553 aircraft were de-iced in total, 2,578 of
which belonged to the parent Company.