Fraport AG's "Made in FRA" Know-how Shines on Florida: Jacksonville Airport Authority and Fraport Plan Joint Venture for Ground Handling

Frankfurt am Main, Germany (ots) - Experts from the Aviation Ground Services and Logistics (BVD) division of Fraport AG and Jacksonville Airport Authority (JAA) recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for cooperation in the area of ground handling operations. The signing of a joint-venture contract is expected soon, followed by the establishment of a joint company for offering ground handling services at Jacksonville Airport (JIA).

Located in northern Florida, Jacksonville Airport recorded almost five million passengers in 2002. Serving as a reference airport to the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration), JIA maintains a prominent position in the American airport system. In particular, Jacksonville Airport Authority is looking to improve baggage-handling operations. Under a consulting contract, Fraport's BVD division provided assistance and made recommendations. This included developing solutions for optimizing Jacksonville Airport's automated baggage conveyor system, which has integrated baggage screening. Also, Fraport's experts examined whether centrally-organized handling could improve the overall quality and profitability of ground-handling services at JIA.

A visiting Florida delegation was impressed by the extensive ground handling know-how that Fraport develops and offers at FRA - one of the world's Top Ten aviation gateways for passenger and cargo traffic (ACI figures). At Jacksonville Airport airlines still provide their own handling services, so-called self-handling. But the airlines are currently looking at ways to reduce costs and improve service quality. Jacksonville Airport is served by American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and US Airways, among others.

Along with operating the world's largest automated conveyor handling system - more than 67 kilometers of guideways - Fraport's BVD division offers a complete range of airside and landside ground-handling services to many airlines at FRA, including Lufthansa and the Star Alliance carriers. Fraport also has ground handling joint ventures at six airports in Spain, three airports in Portugal, as well as a wholly owned subsidiary at Vienna Airport in Austria.