
The union has expressed its astonishment at the recent preliminary report regarding the renewal of ground handling licenses at Lisbon, Porto, and Faro airports. Following the announcement that Menzies lost the bid for the licenses, the union received the news with “a mix of disbelief and indignation.”
Menzies, which was unsuccessful in the competition, plans to challenge the outcome. Reports indicate that the selection committee chose a Spanish consortium consisting of Clece and South, both subsidiaries of Iberia.
“In such a moment, everyone must maintain calm and wait for the final decision, which should award the licenses to the entity that proves to have the necessary human and material resources, along with clients, to provide scale assistance over the next seven years,” the Sitava union emphasized.
The union believes the decision should favor SPdH, as they meet the necessary requirements.
The statement also criticized the atmosphere of instability and conflict created by certain groups posing as union representatives, which threatens the operations of the primary client and jeopardizes approximately 4,000 jobs.
“As we have repeatedly warned, this chaos could lead to serious consequences,” the Sitava stressed, highlighting the impact of governance challenges on the final judgment.
Menzies expressed regret over the outcome and disagreement with their evaluation, stating confidence in their proposal’s demonstrated operational excellence and continuity, supported by a fully qualified workforce of over 3,500 employees delivering high-quality and safe services consistently.
The company, since acquiring SPdH in 2024, has maintained strong operational performance, high compliance standards, and constructive labor relations, underpinned by a company agreement safeguarding worker rights and service stability.
Menzies argues its proposal represents the best overall value with minimal risk for ANAC, warning that this decision could lead to significant operational disruptions, uncertainty for thousands of employees and clients, and threaten sector stability.
The company plans to “immediately initiate the formal appeal process and use all available means to ensure the result’s integrity and fairness are thoroughly reviewed, as per the competition rules.”
Contacted for comment, ANAC stated that “competitors were notified by the jury of the preliminary report” as part of “normal and regular procedure within the competition.” The regulator noted that competitors now have the period to submit their statements, clarifying that no final report or decision on the service provider has been made at this stage.