Swissport has successfully onboarded 2,300 Alitalia employees under extraordinary administration last year following the acquisition of Alitalia Airport Ground Services at Rome-Fiumicino Airport. The company now plans to integrate an additional 400 former Alitalia employees, subject to collective layoffs, once the CIGS (Cassa Integrazione Guadagni Straordinaria) expires.

Swissport is optimistic about successfully integrating an additional 400 laid-off Alitalia employees into its workforce. This is in line with agreements formalized with union representatives on 4 July 2022. However, the realization of this plan is contingent upon Swissport obtaining the license to operate ramp services at Rome Fiumicino Airport. Currently, an appeal has been filed with the Administrative Court of Lazio against the procedure announced by Aeroporti di Roma (ADR) to designate ramp service operators at Fiumicino Airport for the next 7 years.

“We have strong arguments on why the tender and the subsequent evaluation was flawed and are hopeful that the court will follow our arguments and that the decision will be revisited. This will allow Swissport to continue to operate with quality in Fiumicino and will allow us to provide employment to another 400 former Alitalia employees as agreed with the unions on 4 July 2022,” stated Marina Bottelli, Managing Director of Swissport Italia.

After Swissport filed an appeal against the award of the ramp handling tender by ADR at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport, a closed-door hearing before the Lazio Regional Administrative Court took place on 22 November. Subsequently, any decision on the mentioned appeal has been deferred until 20 March 2024 with ADR committing not to sign any new contracts with the successful bidders in the tender.

In the appeal filed at the beginning of November, the request was based on the unlawful and contradictory application of the criteria outlined in the tender notice, along with numerous errors made by the commission responsible for evaluating the submissions of all contenders and verifying competitors' compliance with the requirements stipulated in the tender notice.

In the meantime, a group of air carriers benefiting from Swissport’s services at Rome Fiumicino Airport has formally lodged an appeal with the Council of State challenging the restriction to three ramp operator licenses.