Northport sells Finnish Airport Operations to RTG Group

The Finnair Group’s ground handling company Northport has signed with RTG Ground Handling a transfer of business agreement by which Northport’s ground handling operations will be transferred to the RTG Group’s responsibility at 13 airports in Finland (Ivalo, Joensuu, Jyväskylä, Kajaani, Kemi, Kittilä, Kokkola, Kuopio, Kuusamo, Oulu, Rovaniemi, Vaasa and Turku). In connection with the transfer of business, the RTG Group will assume responsibility for passenger check-in, loading and de-icing services at the domestic airports from 1 April 2007.

Excluding Turku, ground handling services to date have been handled by subcontractors outside the Finnair Group. The RTG Group, as one of these subcontractors, has handled ground handling at six domestic airports (Ivalo, Joensuu, Kajaani, Kokkola, Kuopio and Vaasa). All sales and subcontracting agreements relating to Northport’s ground handling services at domestic airports, except for Helsinki-Vantaa, will now be transferred to the RTG Group.

Northport will discontinue its Turku ground handling operations, and personnel will transfer to the service of RTG Group under their existing terms of employment. Northport will continue its operations in Helsinki, Stockholm Arlanda and Oslo Gardemoen.

“The arrangement is a continuation of Finnair’s strategy of concentrating on its core business. Transferring domestic airport ground handling operations to a diverse travel services company will enhance operational efficiency by exploiting synergy benefits. For many years, RTG has operated as one of our subcontractors and has created for itself both the expertise and readiness to accept responsibility for customer relationships on an independent basis,” said Northport Oy’s Managing Director, Tero Vauraste.

The RTG Group is a versatile travel services operator whose main field of business is providing travel services cost-effectively as a subcontractor.

“Expanding domestically presents the RTG Group with an opportunity to develop our companies’ operations, especially in ground handling services,” said RTG Group’s President & CEO, Antti Soininen.

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