Muscat-based Oman Air has named CHI Aviation Handling as its new ground handling agent (GHA) at Frankfurt Airport, Germany’s busiest airfreight hub.
The deal will be effective as of July 1 and the agreement was announced at the Air Cargo Europe trade fair currently under way in Munich.
Plus, Oman Air Cargo is extending its existing contractual agreements with four other GHAs serving it across European gateways.
The GHAs renewing their contracts with Oman Air are: Swissport at London Heathrow in the UK; Cargogate at Munich Airport in Germany; WFS/Société de Fret et de Services (SFS) at Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport, France; and Cargologic at Zurich Airport in Switzerland.
Mike Duggan, head of cargo at Oman Air, commented: “We are committed to maintaining the high standards we provide for our customers and these contract renewals and the new signing are part of this process.”
He went on: “As we continue to maximise our cargo capacity within the European market, it’s vital that our relationship with chosen ground handlers remains strong, which is why we have decided on this particular European network combination.”
Dominik Mißkampf, managing director of Cargogate & CHI Aviation, noted: “Our journey with Oman Air has been defined by trust, dedication and continuous improvement and it is great to continue to develop this relationship.”
Duncan Watson, cargo commercial director at Swissport GB, declared: “We are extremely proud to see this renewal confirmed; this is an extension to an already established long term partnership between Swissport and Oman Air.”
And Laurent Bernard, vice president France cargo at WFS, added: “Contract extensions are earned by good customer relationships and robust performance measured against agreed service level agreements and we are proud to be growing our partnership with Oman Air.”
Expanding network
In other news, Oman Air recently announced the growth of its network as it plans to introduce new services to Amsterdam as well as increase the frequency of its flights from Muscat to Heathrow.
Oman Air will begin direct four-times-weekly Boeing 787-9 flights from Muscat to Amsterdam on July 1.
The new service will offer 14-18 tonnes of cargo capacity in each direction.
The carrier will also increase its cargo capacity to London Heathrow later this year, with the launch of double-daily B787-9 flights from Muscat to the UK gateway in October.
The second flights on the route will initially be added on four days a week, with a view to increasing the frequency of service to 14 flights a week by the summer of 2026.
