Gatwick Handling
Gatwick Handling Limited was an aircraft ground handling agent headquartered at London Gatwick Airport.
| Company type | Aircraft ground handling |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aviation (Outsourcing) |
| Founded | 1972 (as Gatwick Handling Ltd) |
| Defunct | 2000 (merged with Midland Airport Services, British Midland Handling Services and Reed Aviation to form Aviance UK |
| Headquarters | London Gatwick Airport |
Key people | Sir Ivor Broom Sir Robert Hardingham Frank Horridge Graham Hutchinson Angus J. Kinnear Cliff Nunn Michael Newman Martin O'Regan Peter Ryan John T. Seear Alan J. Snudden David J. Quinn Charles R. Whyte Ken Smith |
| Products | Aircraft ground handling Airport lounges |
| Parent | Davies and Newman Holdings (1972–1992) Laker Airways (Services) (1972–1982) Northwest Airlines (1983–1998) Delta Air Lines (1984–1998) British Airways (1992–1993) Go-Ahead Group (1998–2000) |
Gatwick Handling was originally established in the late-1960s as a new company jointly owned by Airbourne Aviation and Messrs Metcalfe and Foukes. The company's liquidation soon after its formation resulted in ownership passing to Davies and Newman (D&N), parent company of the British independent airline Dan-Air. D&N's search for a co-owner for its new ground handling unit led to the sale of a 50 per cent stake to Laker Airways (Services), an associate company of former Gatwick-based UK independent airline Laker Airways which was a contemporary competitor of Dan-Air.
Gatwick Handling's official appointment as an airport concessionaire occurred in early 1972 following the signing of an agreement between the British Airports Authority (BAA), Dan-Air and Laker Airways. Under this agreement, the BAA licensed Gatwick Handling to conduct ground handling operations at London Gatwick on behalf of third parties.
In addition to assuming responsibility for handling all Dan-Air and Laker flights at Gatwick, a growing number of third-party airlines appointed Gatwick Handling their handling agent at the airport.
Laker Airways's demise in early 1982 brought about a change in ownership that initially saw D&N gain 100% control of Gatwick Handling and the subsequent sale of the 50% stake previously owned by an associate company of the defunct airline sold on to US carriers Northwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines.
In the late-1980s, Gatwick Handling extended its geographical coverage of the UK to other airports, leading to establishment of GH Manchester and GH Stansted respectively.
Dan-Air's takeover by British Airways (BA) in late 1992 divided Gatwick Handling's ownership between Northwest and Delta.
In 1994, Gatwick Handling extended its geographical coverage to Ghana in West Africa. To give it a more international image, the company abbreviated its name to GHI (for Gatwick Handling International).
In 1998, Go-Ahead Group replaced Northwest and Delta as GHI's owner.
In 2000, Go-ahead merged GHI with its other UK aircraft ground handling operations, Midland Airport Services, British Midland Handling Services and Reed Aviation, under the Aviance UK brand.