Under the theme of ‘gaining ground towards resilience’, the second ASA Leadership Forum (ALF) took place in Athens on 20-22 September.
Mark Pilling reports
‘Directionally correct’ is how an economist would describe the progress of the Airport Services Association (ASA) and its second Leadership Forum, which took place alongside the Air Cargo Handling & Logistics Conference (organised by EVA International Media and in its 14th year).
That direction is of course up.
“The numbers indicate that ASA is right in choosing to organise this event. We have over 600 registrations for both events, up by 40% compared to 2022, and 250 registrations alone for the ALF, up 50% on last year,” said Fabio Gamba, ASA Director General.
“This shows the event undeniably responds to a need to gather, prepare and anticipate [the future requirements of ground service providers],” said Gamba.
One of the key success factors for ASA is expanding its membership, said ASA Chair Atilla Korkmazoğlu, who is President Ground Handling and Cargo (EMEA) at Turkish handler Çelebi. He reported that since the inaugural ALF in 2022, ASA has been joined by 15 new members and two new business partners.
ASA now has 64 full members and nine business partners, said Korkmazoğlu. During the pandemic membership fell below 40, but has rebounded as members vowed to strengthen their voice and influence on the international aviation stage.
Korkmazoğlu stressed the need for ASA to continue recruiting new members – especially in regions where it is under-represented, such as the Asia-Pacific region – so that it can grow stronger, increase its global lobbying efforts and gain greater recognition for the role of service providers. This is becoming more important as states are looking at their own role in the regulation of ground handling, he noted.
Dnata CEO Steve Allen stressed the need for ASA to deliver a clear value proposition to attract more members. “We need to be clear about what the purpose of ASA is and what value we can add to all these organisations, and we need evidence of progress,” he said. “As people see ASA becoming more powerful, they will want to be part of it. I think we are building well.”
To increase its work streams, the association has also bolstered the ranks of its secretariat, with industry veterans Thomas Konietzko and Ariaen Zimmerman taking on the new roles of Head of Membership Community and Head of Operations and Programs, respectively, joining Gamba and Head of Marketing and Communications Mercedes Dieguez.
The new ASA awards
One of the new features in Athens 2023 was the ASA Excellence Awards & Recognition Ceremony, which were presented by Korkmazoğlu.
It is important as an association “to celebrate and honour exceptional individuals and companies who have made a remarkable or outstanding contribution to help advance the cause of the aviation services industry in their own way”, said ASA’s Fabio Gamba.
There were two awards, the first recognising an outstanding contribution by an individual to the aviation service industry. That award went to Sally Leible, who retired just prior to the ALF from her position as President of North American handler Airport Terminal Services (ATS).
Korkmazoğlu explained that Sally Leible, who has spent her entire 45-year career with ATS, was nominated for her unwavering commitment to the ground handling industry throughout her career and as an active member of the ASA Board for over four years, including a stint as Chair of ASA.
“We all owe a lot to Sally, not only for the dedication she put into her job, or the famous soft-touch and interpersonal skills she displayed on all occasions, but also because she led ASA for two memorable years before giving way to another chairperson back in 2019,” said Korkmazoğlu.
“During her tenure, ASA was offered a seat at the IATA Ground Operations Group and could finally have its say on such industry standards as ISAGO and IGOM,” he explained.
Former ASA head Jon Conway said: “As the very first Director General of ASA, I was extremely fortunate to have Sally as Chair. In the two years that we worked together, I was always conscious that, despite her seriously busy day job with ATS, she gave much of her time and attention to wider global handling issues and the efforts we were making to establish ASA as the voice of airline service providers. Her drive to engage with both ACI and IATA helped result in elevating our sector to a position of genuine recognition.”
The second award went to the business demonstrating the greatest contribution to the advancement of ESG (Environmental, Social & Governance) in the ground services industry. The winner was Menzies Aviation, with the award accepted by Katy Reid, Head of Sustainability & Corporate Responsibility at Menzies.
“This award goes to a company genuinely invested and passionate about ESG, one that is taking a lead in helping the industry innovate. In time it will be the norm,” said Korkmazoğlu.
According to one of the award judges: “Menzies Aviation has demonstrated a comprehensive ESG approach, with an aggressive net zero emissions target of 2025 and strong commitments to female representation at leadership level, refugee recruitment and slavery risk.”
ASA also gave special recognition to three Turkish handlers: Turkish Ground Services, Çelebi Aviation Holding and Havaş Ground Handling Services, for their exceptional contribution to disaster relief efforts in communities affected by the severe earthquakes that struck Turkiye in February this year.
The venue for the third ASA Leadership Forum, which will take place in September 2024, will be announced shortly.
