ACCIONA strengthens its position in chilean handling market by purchasing Andes Airport Services

ACCIONA, through its subsidiary ACCIONA Airport Service, has acquired the LATAM group's ramp handling business in Santiago de Chile airport, operated through company Andes Airport Services.

The agreement includes the current operations, the assets and a long-term contract to provide LATAM with ramp handling services in Santiago airport; staff continuity (around a thousand employees) is assured. The transaction is expected to be closed before yearend, once the competition authorities grant approval. Andes Airport Services is a LATAM Group subsidiary created in 1990 which operates ground handling services in Santiago de Chile airport for both LATAM Group airlines and third parties. In 2016, Andes obtained revenues of about 22,945 million Chilean pesos (30 million euros).

With this acquisition, ACCIONA has chosen Chile as strategic growth market for its handling business, based on a leading position (more than 60% market share) in the country's main airport and the aim of expanding its current presence towards the rest of the country's airports.

ACCIONA started providing passenger handling services at Santiago de Chile airport in December 2016 and, during 2017, it has expanded to full handling services (passengers + ramp) in both the capital and in the Antofagasta, La Serena, Concepción, Calama and Copiapó airports. In July, ACCIONA was chosen by JetSMART as exclusive ground handling agent for its Chilean airports. In the coming months, ACCIONA plans to begin operating at four other airports in Chile.

ACCIONA has more than 20 years experience in providing handling services through ACCIONA Airport Service, which has a client portfolio of more than 100 airlines. It provides handling services at such airports as Frankfurt, Düsseldorf, Palma de Mallorca, Barcelona and Gran Canaria.