ISSUE FEATURES


WORLD ANALYSIS: US & CANADA

Will 2007 turn out to have been a portentous year? The price of crude oil was arguably the biggest talking point: its cost per barrel threatened to cross the magical (or simply numerical, depending on how you view it) US$100 threshold in the run-up to December 31. Analysts’ fears were confi rmed when this fi gure was achieved on January 2 this year.

A weakened dollar in the US, mortgage dilemmas and consumer retrenchment have all been in the media headlines on a regular basis. Added to that has been the talk of an aviation sector recession. Has the cusp of the crescent fi nally been reached? And if aircraft are having a tougher time of it (after all, you can only hedge so far), how have the handlers fared?

For Carlton Miller, General Manager Business Development and Marketing at Air Canada Ground Handling Services, a number of new contracts were signed, reinforcing the handler’s presence in the marketplace. Amongst the signings were Cathay Pacifi c, Air New Zealand, Fly Globespan, Jet Airways and Royal Jordanian. Air Jamaica and Icelandair both contracted at Toronto whilst stalwarts Delta and United were also in the mix. Another half-dozen carriers were also added to the portfolio.

“Overall, our marketing initiatives have been successful; more companies are coming to understand that Air Canada Ground Handling Services is the premium ground handler in Canada. We feel we are unmatched when it comes to delivering safe, secure service.

“Also, we have invested US$14m in renewing our fl eet and accommodating new aircraft such as the Embraer 190 and the Boeing 777. We have also taken a signifi cant step towards fl eeting our units in Western Canada (at Vancouver and Calgary) with LPG, with approximately 400 units and we are investigating further opportunities for LPG in other cities. Additionally, we are performing multiple tests on hybrid and Additionally, we are performing multiple tests on hybrid and hydrogen fuel cell baggage tractors.”

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