Turkish ground handling specialist Havaş has acquired Zagreb Airport-based MZLZ Ground Handling Services.
Zagreb Airport, which serves the Croatian capital, will be the 31st airport in the Havaş portfolio. A TAV Airports and Groupe ADP company, Havaş already operates at 29 Turkish airports, in addition to Riga Airport in Latvia.
Under the terms of the agreement, Havaş has assumed responsibility for passenger, ramp, representation and supervision services, flight operation, load control and communication services, as well as cargo and mail services, at Zagreb Airport.
S Mete Erna, Havaş general manager, explained, “Approximately 30 airlines regularly fly to Zagreb Airport, which is a significant tourist destination in the Adriatic region. We will carry out all processes as the sole ground handling service provider at the airport, which also has cargo and general aviation traffic. We will increase the efficiency of our operations and sustain our investments in ground handling services.”
Havaş’ Zagreb operations will involve approximately 500 employees and a machine park consisting of 176 motorised and 346 wheeled equipment. The Zagreb station has held IATA’s ISAGO (safety audit for ground operations) certification since 2019.
In 2019, Zagreb Airport served 3.4 million passengers and 45 thousand flights, as well as approximately 13,000 tons of cargo. COVID-19-related travel restrictions left 2021 passenger traffic at the airport at just over 40% of pre-pandemic levels.
The consortium, including TAV Airports and Groupe ADP, holds the right to operate Zagreb Airport until 2042.
