The new contract to provide passenger and baggage handling services, as well as ramp handling for 13,000 easyJet flights a year, sees WFS launch its new cost-plus business model in the Europe, Middle East, Africa & Asia region. Under the terms of the contract, WFS is responsible for easyJet’s check-in, bag drop, boarding, baggage loading, aircraft reconfiguration and push-back at Edinburgh airport, and vice versa for arriving flights and customers.
Will Facey, EVP Ground Handling, EMEAA, at WFS, said: “This is a major new contract which significantly supports our ground handling growth strategy. Our operation and team in Edinburgh are focused on easyJet and we have put in a lot of time and investment to ensure we are delivering our services from the airline’s and customers’ perspective because we care about how easyJet performs. We are very pleased with the way the contract has started. We want to be a part of what makes both the airport company and easyJet in Edinburgh successful.”
The new cost-plus model is a fresh alternative to traditional ground handling, enabling a flexible and transparent cost-plus approach designed to give airlines the operational resilience they need.
“Our plans to grow our ground handling business – which is focused on serving narrow-body, high volume airline operations – give us the opportunity to bring something fresh to the market to improve the quality of handling for airlines, airports and passengers,” explains Facey.
“It replaces the traditional industry approach of contracts based solely on aircraft turns. Our contracts are flexible, realistic and commercially balanced. If an airline customer wants more, we put more in and they pay for it. If they want less, we take it out and the cost goes with it. At every point we are fully transparent. It’s about having a balanced relationship which is resilient, honest and open. Ultimately, this is about giving our customers’ customers the quality of service they expect so they will want to fly with them again and again,” Facey added.
