The Airport Services Association (ASA) General Assembly has approved a number of sweeping changes to the Statutes of the Association proposed by the Board. These changes, which come into effect as of Jan. 1, 2023, foresee the transformation of the 12-year-old trade body into one that is better adapted to the fast-changing air transport environment by giving it more means, more expertise and a wider basis of membership. The new ASA aims to unite all aviation Service Providers under one strong association.
As of now, all entities engaged in aviation services markets may apply for membership. The membership will be accessible to ground handling, cargo, fueling services, ancillary services, and other outsourced services to airlines and airports who identify themselves with the ASA's purpose and objectives.
ASA's chairman, Atilla Korkmazoğlu, commented: "The COVID-19 pandemic and the sharp recovery in 2022 have been a wake-up call. In a complex aviation ecosystem where airlines are at the top of the value chain, the world has finally realized how central our services are to a safe and efficient air transport industry. We found it very difficult, if not outright impossible, to get access to the emergency funds provided to the aviation sector during the pandemic and bore the brunt of the lockdown, losing up to 40 percent of our workforce in a matter of months. This situation cannot happen anymore for the sake of this industry, and we are shaping a new and stronger ASA to make sure our recommendations are heard at national and international level, as well as amongst industry partners such as IATA, ACI, TIACA, and others.”
Welcoming not only ground handling service providers (GHSPs) but other aviation service providers in general will enable ASA to constitute a homogeneous entity out of an otherwise fragmented sector.
"There is no question the aviation services sector must shape up to form an effective third angle of a triangle whose other two representatives are the airlines and the airports. We all face the same challenges eventually: rampant consolidation, tough working conditions, both socially and economically and, to be frank, a worrying and ultimately very damaging race to the bottom. The new platform and structure will allow a strong united trade body to have a powerful impact and its voice to be on par with other trade bodies," said Fabio Gamba, the director general.
It will also enable the secretariat to grow in number and capacity to better respond to the needs of the aviation services provision industry. Two of the many tasks ASA will be in charge of are:
- The organization of an ASA Leadership Forum, a yearly event where strategic questions affecting the sector are debated at the highest level and which will serve as a beacon for the Association and the industry
- The creation of committees dedicated to identifying and solving the most important common hurdles that the members of this community face in their daily operations.
