Gatwick Handling

GHI Ltd
Company typeAircraft ground handling
IndustryAviation (Outsourcing)
Founded1972 (as Gatwick Handling Ltd)
Defunct2000 (merged with Midland Airport Services,
British Midland Handling Services and
Reed Aviation
to form Aviance UK
HeadquartersLondon Gatwick Airport
Key people
Sir Ivor Broom
Sir Robert Hardingham
Frank Horridge
Graham Hutchinson
Angus J. Kinnear
Cliff Nunn
Michael Newman
Martin O'Regan
Peter Ryan
John T. Seear
Alan J. Snudden
David J. Quinn
Charles R. Whyte
Ken Smith
ProductsAircraft ground handling Airport lounges
ParentDavies and Newman Holdings
(1972–1992)
Laker Airways (Services)
(1972–1982)
Northwest Airlines
(1983–1998)
Delta Air Lines
(1984–1998)
British Airways
(1992–1993)
Go-Ahead Group
(1998–2000)

Gatwick Handling Limited was an aircraft ground handling agent headquartered at London Gatwick Airport.

Gatwick Handling was originally established in the late-1960s as a new company jointly owned by Airbourne Aviation and Messrs Metcalfe and Foukes. The company's liquidation soon after its formation resulted in ownership passing to Davies and Newman (D&N), parent company of the British independent[nb 1] airline Dan-Air. D&N's search for a co-owner for its new ground handling unit led to the sale of a 50 per cent stake to Laker Airways (Services), an associate company of former Gatwick-based UK independent airline Laker Airways which was a contemporary competitor of Dan-Air.[1][2][3]

Gatwick Handling's official appointment as an airport concessionaire occurred in early 1972 following the signing of an agreement between the British Airports Authority (BAA), Dan-Air and Laker Airways. Under this agreement, the BAA licensed Gatwick Handling to conduct ground handling operations at London Gatwick on behalf of third parties.[4][5][6]

In addition to assuming responsibility for handling all Dan-Air and Laker flights at Gatwick, a growing number of third-party airlines appointed Gatwick Handling their handling agent at the airport.[7]

Laker Airways's demise in early 1982 brought about a change in ownership that initially saw D&N gain 100% control of Gatwick Handling and the subsequent sale of the 50% stake previously owned by an associate company of the defunct airline sold on to US carriers Northwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines.[4][5][8]

In the late-1980s, Gatwick Handling extended its geographical coverage of the UK to other airports, leading to establishment of GH Manchester and GH Stansted respectively.[9][10]

Dan-Air's takeover by British Airways (BA) in late 1992 divided Gatwick Handling's ownership between Northwest and Delta.[11][12]

In 1994, Gatwick Handling extended its geographical coverage to Ghana in West Africa. To give it a more international image, the company abbreviated its name to GHI (for Gatwick Handling International).[10]

In 1998, Go-Ahead Group replaced Northwest and Delta as GHI's owner.[13]

In 2000, Go-ahead merged GHI with its other UK aircraft ground handling operations, Midland Airport Services, British Midland Handling Services and Reed Aviation, under the Aviance UK brand.


Cite error: There are <ref group=nb> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=nb}} template (see the help page).

  1. ^ "6 Commercial activities — BAA's policy towards ... 6.32 Licences: 6.34 Ground handling, Competition Commission, 1991, p. 96" (PDF). Archived from the original on 3 December 2011. Retrieved 20 November 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  2. ^ The Spirit of Dan-Air, Simons, G.M., GMS Enterprises, Peterborough, 1993, pp. 81/2
  3. ^ Airliner Classics (Dan-Air — Popular British Charter operator: Gatwick Handling Limited), Key Publishing, Stamford, UK, November 2011, pp. 92, 95
  4. ^ a b The Spirit of Dan-Air, Simons, G.M., GMS Enterprises, Peterborough, 1993, p. 82
  5. ^ a b Airliner Classics (Dan-Air — Popular British Charter operator: Gatwick Handling Limited), Key Publishing, Stamford, UK, November 2011, p. 95
  6. ^ "United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority — Decisions on applications to limit the number of suppliers of airside ground handling services: Servisair's case (18.), GH1/98, p. 6" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 December 2011. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
  7. ^ The Spirit of Dan-Air, Simons, G.M., GMS Enterprises, Peterborough, 1993, p. 81
  8. ^ Delta takes Gatwick Handling share, Air Transport, Flight International, 4 February 1984, p. 314
  9. ^ "United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority — Decisions on applications to limit the number of suppliers of airside ground handling services: Servisair's case (20.), GH1/98, p. 6" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 December 2011. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
  10. ^ a b "About ... Aviation Ground Support: Managing Director — Mick Ward". Archived from the original on 25 July 2011. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
  11. ^ Gatwick Handling, Business, Flight International, 24–30 March 1993, p. 21
  12. ^ "United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority — Decisions on applications to limit the number of suppliers of airside ground handling services: The market for third-party handling (37., 38.), GH1/98, p. 12" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 December 2011. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
  13. ^ FundingUniverse — The Go-Ahead Group Plc: Company History