DHL Supply Chain and SAS have announced that DHL has been appointed ground handling partner for SAS at Manchester Airport under a new three-year agreement; financial terms were not disclosed. It matters because DHL mobilised the entire operation in 30 days while maintaining service continuity, a compressed timeline that shows how quickly ground handling capacity can now change hands without disrupting flight schedules.

DHL Supply Chain is the contract logistics division of Deutsche Post DHL Group, providing warehousing, transport and specialist logistics services globally, with its UK and Ireland aviation services business covering ground handling for multiple international airlines.

SAS is Scandinavia's flag carrier airline, headquartered in Stockholm, operating an international network connecting the UK with Scandinavia and wider global destinations through its ground handling division, SAS Ground Handling International.

DHL will support up to five SAS flights per day at Manchester, providing baggage operations, customer service, aircraft loading, dispatch and pushback services for flights connecting the UK with Scandinavia and SAS's wider international network.

David Johnson, interim managing director of healthcare and specialist logistics at DHL Supply Chain UKI, said: "We're delighted to be partnering with SAS at Manchester Airport. Mobilising a new operation in just 30 days required a huge team effort and demonstrates the agility and expertise of our aviation teams."

Johnson added that ground handling plays a critical role in airline performance, with DHL focused on providing safe, reliable and efficient service for SAS and its passengers.

The deal extends a UK ground handling portfolio already including easyJet at Manchester since 2019 and London Gatwick since 2017, plus Air France at Gatwick since earlier this year, building a multi-airline base rather than a single-carrier relationship.

SAS Ground Handling International managing director Hans Henrik Spangenberg said: "Delivering a reliable travel experience for our customers depends on strong performance across every part of our operation. Manchester is an important gateway for SAS, connecting customers across the UK with Scandinavia and our wider international network."

For the sector, DHL's ability to compress a full ground handling mobilisation into 30 days signals that speed of transition, not just service quality once running, is becoming a decisive factor in which providers win multi-year airport contracts.

Source: Aviation Pros