All posts by Clara de la Torre

A team from Iberia Airport Services was present last week at the international trade fair GSE EXPO EUROPE in Le Bourget, Paris.

For the first time since the pandemic, we had the opportunity to meet personally with exhibitors from all over the world, re-establish contacts and learn first-hand about innovations in this sector: autonomous technology, hydrogen energy, electric and sustainable propulsion equipment, safety systems on the apron, more efficient batteries.

“It has been very gratifying to participate in this fair. At Iberia Airport Services, we are committed to sustainability, fleet electrification, process automation and operational safety”, Nicolas Fernandez, Supply Chain

The specialist magazine, Actualidad Aeroespacial, highlights in its current issue the importance of sustainability for IBAS. And it is absolutely right. Caring for the environment, energy efficiency and reducing the carbon footprint are at the heart of every company’s strategy, including ours. At IBAS we have designed a roadmap in which sustainability is the main pillar.

You can see the full magazine here, and the feature on our sustainability strategy is on page 40.

https://actualidadaeroespacial.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Actualidad-Aeroespacial-2022-Septiembre

We hope you enjoy reading it.

Sol de la Macorra, manager of American Airlines in Spain and Portugal, presents the “Customer Cup” to the team at Madrid Barajas airport, which accredits the handling we provide in the ramp area, coordination (with a team of more than 30 coordinators trained for their operations) and UM service as the best in category 1 (which includes stopovers with a volume of 10 flights per day or less) in the first quarter of 2022, among all the international stopovers where American Airlines operates.

This recognition highlights the day-to-day operational excellence with which we serve this strategic customer’s “triple seven” (B-777) aircraft, maintaining the highest levels of quality, efficiency and punctuality on the 35 flights we support each week (1,650 flights annually) from Madrid to Dallas, New York, Miami, Philadelphia and Charlotte.

“Despite the great challenges we are facing every day, we are deeply grateful for the great work being done by each of the people who make up the ramp team that serves our flights and who give the best of themselves to meet these challenges together,” says Sol.

Rubén Menéndez, Companies Support Manager, “We are extremely proud of our teams. Acknowledgements like this are proof of the work and effort we put in every day with each of our client companies as well as the human value and daily communication we demonstrate on each of their flights”.

Thank you all, congratulations Barajas!

                                           

  • The ISAGO (IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations) certificate accredits handling agents that comply with the highest safety standards defined by IATA. ISAGO, as with IOSA (IATA Operational Safety Audit) for the airline, reviews through an exhaustive audit all the operational procedures and processes that we carry out, the regulations that we have published and many other aspects of the documentation that regulates ground operations, verifying that all of this complies with the regulatory requirements and IATA standards.

To carry out this inspection, once requested by us, IATA appoints a global Audit Organisation, which in turn assigns an audit team to review more than a thousand operational standards spread across the five areas in which we carry out our activity:

  • Company organisation (SMS, Training, Quality, etc.).
  • Passenger and baggage assistance
  • Aircraft loading and unloading (handling of equipment, wheeling, etc.).
  • Control of aircraft loading and centring
  • Aircraft movement on the ground

On behalf of IBAS, all areas related to the operation have actively collaborated, both Central Services and Madrid-Barajas Airport Management, coordinated from the Quality and Environment area.

IBAS has just renewed this certificate at Madrid-Barajas Airport, a further step towards excellence, quality and safety in our services as a handling agent. A recognition of the experience and work of our employees for their involvement, commitment and constant effort.

An endorsement of excellence in operational safety for our portfolio of more than 150 client companies, and a benchmark for the renewal of handling licences.

                 

Ibas is exploring new initiatives to accelerate the digitalisation of turnaround and make airport processes more efficient and agile.

In addition to remote-controlled push back tractors for push back in Barcelona and Madrid, we are using an innovative operational management tool called Kepler, which unifies all traditionally used applications into a single one and allows resource planning, real-time monitoring of the operation, invoice management and data analysis, as well as the development of other in-house collaborative tools that improve communication and collaboration between teams.

In addition, we are working on automatic load sheets, developing a more intuitive and agile system, called IRIS, which allows us to reduce indecencies and time between operations.

Flynews echoes our innovation in this recently published article.

 

 

 

       

Espacio Iberia, located in the heart of Madrid, at calle Velázquez, 37, is a 350 square metre space open to the public to enjoy a different and unique experience.

We have recreated the cabin of an aeroplane, with Business, Premium Economy and Economy seats, where visitors can enjoy the experience as it is offered in flight at 30,000 feet, but without having to take off from the ground.

         

But the fun doesn’t stop there. Wine tasting, beer tasting, show cooking, coffee tasting… and even a walk through the history of our uniforms, which visitors can try on and have photographed with a fun 360º Glam Cam. In addition, visitors to the Iberia Space can also purchase iconic merchandising objects.

       

An experience that we also share with our employees, dedicating this space exclusively to them, in recognition of them, our people, because they are the face of our service and attention to each of our customers, the ones who personalise and humanise this experience every day at our airports. Today we have brought together check-in and ramp agents, coordinators, trainers, administrative staff and their managers so that for one day they can become customers by living “their experience with Iberia”.

 

We all add up with these internal events that bring together colleagues from different areas, exchange impressions, live and feel like a passenger, get to know the services we offer in first person and, above all, get out of their routine, because they deserve it. We are proud of you and grateful to share this space today, which we have enjoyed!

 

We remind you that anyone can book these activities in advance at https://espacio.iberia.com or at the reception of Espacio Iberia, as the capacity is limited. Open every day, from 12 to 21h from Monday to Sunday, including public holidays, until 30 June.

 

 

 

 

 

Iberia Airport Services has been the handling company chosen to accompany UNITED AIRLINES in the expansion of its transatlantic network in Spain. The American company has just launched two new routes from Newark (EWR) to Palma de Mallorca (PMI) from June 3rd and Tenerife South (TFS) from June 10th.

Last January we won the tender launched by the company after hard work in the commercial area.  Ana del Cura, commercial manager of the account and specialist in American airlines, tells us about the particularities of the whole process for the landing of UNITED at IBAS airports: “American companies must follow the particular regulations of the United States and this is reflected both in the contract and in the documentation that, as handling service providers, we must present and comply with. In the specific case of UNITED AIRLINES for the opening of the two destinations in Spain to PMI and TFS, we have received great support and there is a fluid communication with their team that has made it possible to solve the particularities in the implementation at a technical, training and procedural level. We are delighted to include UNITED in our client portfolio and very excited about their confidence in this new project and those that may arise in our airport network. I am convinced that this is only the beginning of a successful and long-lasting relationship, and I feel very fortunate to be able to accompany them on a daily basis as UNITED’s KAM.

       

At IBAS we are committed to making UNITED’s operations a success, coordinating the start-up between all the areas that in one way or another are involved in the care of their aircraft. Our goal is to plan the operation in perfect harmony so that nothing goes wrong. On site, at each stopover, an action plan was developed with IT and operational systems; HR with the planning of the assigned personnel and the training to be provided; MASA cleaning managers and the Commercial area to coordinate everything agreed with UNITED. In addition, we have provided support with AENA for the implementation of their procedures and resources at our bases. A large number of training hours have been given to our passenger, boarding, coordination and loading and unloading staff. In addition to facilitating the management and placement of the branding for the airport terminal, reinforcing and promoting the start of operations.

       

Joana Quintana Morey, Manager of Palma de Mallorca Airport (PMI), highlights the enormous media coverage and the good reception that UNITED’s arrival on the island has had, allowing non-stop travel to the USA. “Despite the fact that during the preparations we have had to overcome many challenges different from what we are used to, such as the implementation of security protocols according to American regulations, we have put a lot of enthusiasm into this project and I am sure that we will be able to provide a good service with the involvement of all of us who make up IBAS at PMI. “

       

Sonia Henríquez Brito, Manager of Tenerife Airport (TFS), tells us what the arrival of UNITED has meant for her stopover “We have had two big challenges at TFS. Firstly, the connection of their routers and the availability of SIM cards, and secondly, the reception of the company’s equipment. The lifting of this material involves a bureaucracy that does not exist in the rest of the Iberian Peninsula, and it is proving complicated to lift the goods at the cargo terminal. We are fully engaged in the logistics and provision of material, which will be here for the first operation next Friday.

Our aim is always to ensure that the client company feels at home and to show them that we have all their needs covered. We are looking forward to seeing this first landing and serving UNITED; it will be a   historic milestone for the Tenerife team”.

With PMI operations already underway, and days away from the first take-off at TFS, the Iberia Airport Services team is ready to fly with UNITED AIRWAYS!

   

 

 

The world of aviation arouses great interest in general, and especially our followers on social networks. They are very interested in everything that is hidden behind each flight, what is not visible to the naked eye, when we personalise and “humanise” our work through you.

Who hasn’t ever wondered what happens just below your feet when you are sitting in a plane about to start the backward movement, and what happens in those moments before a plane takes off safely?

Beatriz Carmona, coordinator at Madrid airport, tells us today on our social media profiles what her day-to-day life is like. We have accompanied her during one of her days, in which she interacts with colleagues from other areas: passengers, ramp, pilots…

Coordination is essential for a plane to take off on time and safely, so each team assigned to a flight knows what they have to do.

The “dance” around the plane starts between one hour and 45  minutes before the scheduled departure time, depending on the type of plane.Bea makes sure that this meshing fits together perfectly: “I have to have a thousand eyes everywhere because there are so many things going on at once that I have to be aware of. We serve more than 150 client companies and never one flight is the same as another. That’s the magic of my job.

“My favourite moment of the day is doing the pushback with the Mototok; I operate the aircraft with my hands, I am the pilot’s eyes. I never imagined that this job existed and I can’t see myself doing anything else.”

   

Will you take off with us on this flight? You can watch the full video at these links:

YT: https://youtu.be/D8NGo_HBUyE

FB: https://fb.watch/d5QbPBJl-L/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/p/CdvFp80Dy-T/

TW:  https://twitter.com/Iberia/status/1527251131105255424

Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport (the second largest in Spain) is located 12 km southwest of Barcelona and 6 metres above sea level. The airport has had several popular nicknames such as La Volatería, Aeropuerto del Prat, or the most common of all, Barcelona-El Prat Airport, although the official name is Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport. It has two terminals and three runways, two parallel runways and a cross runway, which allow up to 90 operations per hour. Barcelona-El Prat is the main hub for the airlines Vueling and LEVEL, but 89 other airlines operate there, 70% of which are low-cost airlines.

The 1992 Olympic Games were held in Barcelona, for which the city and the airport were transformed to accommodate the event. Iberia Airport Services (IBAS), as the airport’s sole handling agent at the time, provided service for the entire special operation that took place at the end of July, August and September, including the Reduced Mobility Passengers service during the Paralympic Games. The Madrid-Barcelona corridor route -or Puente Aéreo- continues to be the route in Spain with the highest passenger traffic.

IBAS employs between 1,600 and 2,300 staff (depending on the season) and serves 31 airlines such as Vueling (our main client), Emirates, Turkish Airlines, American Airlines, British Airways, Iberia and Level. It is the only Spanish airport where Singapore Airlines flies 5 times a week.

Antonio Rodríguez Aranda, senior manager at Barcelona Airport, explains how they are organised at the stopover: “There are three different work areas: coordination, passengers and ramp, all located in T1 of the airport, although we provide services in both terminals of the airport. During 2020 and 2021, we have worked on developing the versatility of the entire workforce. In fact, around 93% of staff in the passenger area are now able to check-in on three different systems, 100% of coordinators can occupy a console position and the ramp area has merged different quadrants that previously worked as “isolated departments”. In addition, in all areas of the airport, including operational support (planning, human resources, quality, billing services) we work with Kepler, our real-time integrated operational management system. The use of Kepler, together with the deployment of collaborative tools such as Teams, Planner or OneNote from Microsoft Office 365, together with the incorporation of mobile devices, has meant a great advance in the digitalisation of processes – monitoring of the operation in real time, both of companies and of vehicles on the apron that are broken down or badly parked, the status of baggage deliveries, etc. – In this way, adds Rodríguez Aranda, “we are able to manage the operation by combining the dedication required by the HUB operation of our main client, Vueling, with more than 220 flights per day (pre-pandemic), with the diversity of the requirements of the other 30 clients we serve. Of course, this is possible thanks to the commitment of our staff and the collaboration of our suppliers and AENA.

Did you know that at BCN the staff who serve Vueling wear their uniforms? 

And that we have four Mototok or electric pushback units?

Joaquín Andrés Yasky, assistant manager of LATAM’s Europe airports, acknowledges that “BCN is one of the top airports, and it is usually where we obtain the best customer satisfaction index”. Last January, the IBAS BCN team was recognised by LATAM as the most punctual stopover in its entire network, in addition to obtaining the best baggage delivery ratio. In February, it achieved the best NPS (net promoting score), i.e. it was the airport most highly valued by passengers, for which LATAM awarded the LATAM bonsai tree, a symbol of customer care and delicacy, as recognition. In March, for the third consecutive month, it was once again the most punctual stopover for this airline, one of the main customers at BCN. “IBAS is always at the height of the best handling, offering us a quality service,” says Yasky.

 

 

   

Today, International Day for Safety and Health at Work, the Safety 360º Tour kicks off at Ibiza airport, an event in which local authorities, suppliers and customers take part to learn about safety together in a fun and entertaining way.

During the pandemic, at IBAS we have had to adapt on a daily basis to needs that were not even contemplated in our procedures – such as, for example, cargo in the passenger cabin – a situation that has only served to highlight the value of the entire Safety culture that we have been implementing for some years now.

We have gone from a central manager in Operational Management with Safety functions to a structured operational management system that supports and underpins our operations vis-à-vis authorities and customers, with local representatives at all levels.

Today we look back on the evolution of our safety culture and take another step forward, to continue to be the best benchmark for handling in Spain.

IBAS has safety in its DNA and this is demonstrated by the more than 150 client companies that trust us, because SAFETY is each and every one of our employees.

Today the Safety 360º Tour kicked off in Ibiza. It will be followed by the airports of Santiago de Compostela and A Coruña and so on, each and every one of the 29 airports where we are present.

SAFETY 360º TOUR – IBIZA AIRPORT