Jeju Air announced that it had signed a deal to buy Dongbo Airport Service, one of the largest ground handlers in Korea, which provides T’way Air’s ground handling services. Dongbo could begin providing handling services for Jeju Air before the end of the year.
“As Jeju Air’s fleet and flights continue to expand, the need for stable support services has become more important,” a Jeju Air official said.
T’way Air also announced today (October 23) that it would be working to set up its own affiliate company for ground handling. The airline reportedly began recruiting ground handling staff for its new affiliate last week, tentatively named T’way Air Service. The affiliate is expected to begin providing services in mid-December.
This will enable T’way to independently manage passenger services at airports, providing more stability to support staff while also improving service quality.
The announcements mean that all Korean airlines will have their own ground handling operations, with Korean Air and Asiana Airlines already having affiliates for their full-service and budget carriers. Low cost carrier Eastar Jet operates its own affiliate ground handling operation as well.
