After losing a major contract with Qatar Airways, SAS Ground Handling is now forced to make cuts at Swedish airports. SAS tells Di that up to 25 people are now being forced to leave Landvetter.

The SAS Group's ground handling company, SAS Ground Handling, provides passenger, baggage and cargo services for both SAS and other airlines, among other things. The company recently lost a major contract with Qatar Airways at the airports in Gothenburg, Stockholm and Copenhagen, which means that the company must reduce staff.

SAS press spokesperson Freja Annamatz tells Di that SAS Ground Handling has given 25 people notice of termination. All of the positions in question are at Landvetter Airport outside Gothenburg. The staff were reportedly informed of the situation around two weeks ago.

”"The next step is to look together with the unions at how this should be done in the best way. First and foremost, we will suspend new recruitment and utilize voluntary redundancy, natural departures," says SAS press spokesperson Freja Annamatz, who says that the layoffs are exclusively due to the lost agreement with Qatar Airways.

SAS Ground Handling has around 1,500 employees in Sweden.

According to the Danish industry website check-in.dk, SAS will also lay off 30 people at Kastrup Airport in Copenhagen.

SAS stated earlier on Thursday that 25 people had been given notice of layoffs at Arlanda as well. However, that notice has been withdrawn because the company was able to address the reductions through fewer new hires.

Source: di.se