SATS and Air India form JV for handling

Singapore Airport Terminal Services (SATS) and Air India today

signed an agreement to form a single 50:50 joint venture (JV) company that will serve as the

vehicle to house their three existing ground and cargo handling JVs in Bangalore and

Hyderabad.

To be named Air India SATS Airport Services Private Limited (AISATS), the JV company is in

the process of being incorporated in New Delhi. In September 2008, SATS was chosen by Air India as its JV partner for ground handling in India. Prior to that, both companies have already collaborated in Hyderabad and Bangalore

under three separate JVs, providing ground and cargo handling services since the opening of

the new airports in March and May 2008 respectively. However, the incorporation of these JVs

was held back, pending Air India’s plans to select a strategic ground handling partner at the

other metro airports in India, like Delhi and Mumbai where world class ground handling is

required.