Baltic Ground Services gained recognition of IFQP

[2009-10-16]

Lithuanian ground handling company Baltic Ground Services (BGS) received the IATA Fuel Quality Pool (IFQP) recognition indicating that into-plane fuelling operations is operated to high quality control and safety standard.

The recognition was received after inspection which was performed on behalf of the airlines members of the IATA Fuel Quality Pool.

“By choosing the fuel supplier at the Vilnius International Airport the IFQP airlines members will be able to avoid separate inspection of our company, instead applying directly to IFQP for information. This recognition also shows the progress of our company in achieving the highest level of all our services supply”, said Saulius Batavicius, CEO of the Baltic Ground Services.

BGS started its own into-plane fuelling operations in February 2009.

In May 2009 BGS was granted the IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations (ISAGO) Registration, following the successful completion of a comprehensive audit of all ground-handling operations at Vilnius International Airport. The Lithuanian company was the first European ground handling company to receive the ISAGO certificate.

The IATA standards offer advantages to the airlines, ground handling companies, supervisory authorities, and airport managers. Abiding these standards helps to secure safer ground handling processes, reduce the number of accidents, reduce costs, unify standards, and ensure greater safety and higher quality standards.

IATA grants Baltic Ground Services (BGS) the ISAGO Registration

[2009-05-15]

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) awarded Baltic Ground Services (BGS) the IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations (ISAGO) Registration, following the successful completion of a comprehensive audit of all ground-handling operations at Vilnius International Airport.

The Lithuanian company is the tenth ground handling company in the world and the first ground handling company in Europe to receive the mentioned certificate ( http://www.iata.org/ps/certification/isago/registry.htm ).

ISAGO is an audit programme for ground-handling companies serving airlines at airports.

Saulius Batavičius, the Baltic Ground Services Director, expressed satisfaction with this high level of achievement, which confirms BGSs commitment to top safety of ground operations. He pointed out that the ISAGO registration is a new IATA program that is modeled after the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA), which assesses Ground service provider operational management and control systems.

  ISAGO is built around a set of harmonized internationally recognized standards and accepted system for assessing the operational management and control systems of the Ground Service Provider.

IATA's decision to award BGS registration came after a comprehensive six-day audit carried out by an IATA-licensed ISAGO audit team. During the first two days the licensed company ACS performed the headquarters audit, following 126 standards to inspect organizational systems and documentation. The headquarters audit focused on the Organisation & Management System and making sure that the Ground Service Provider  safety functions are performed in conformity with latest industry operational practices.

During the remaining four days, licensed auditors from LOT Polish Airlines carried out the ground operations audit at Vilnius International Airport, following 360 standards (station audit). This portion of the audit involved station management system, passenger and baggage handling, load control, aircraft handling & loading, aircraft ground movement and cargo & mail handling.

ISAGO offers benefits to airlines, ground handlers, regulatory as well as airport authorities. Among them, safer ground operations, fewer accidents and injuries, elimination of redundant audits, reduced costs, less damage and fewer audits, a uniform audit process and harmonized standards, improved safety oversight, harmonized auditor training and qualifications, improved quality standards, enhanced understanding of high-risk areas within ground operations.

About Baltic Ground Services UAB

Baltic Ground Services UAB was established in September 2005. It is a part of the Lithuanian group of airline companies Avia Solutions Group. Among the company’s major clients there are such airline companies as Finnair, LOT, Aer Lingus, Brussels airlines and others, including DHL – the world leader in the field of emergency international transportation and logistics.

Baltic Ground Services (BGS) expands its activities at the Vilnius airport

[2009-03-29]

The ground handling company Baltic Ground Services (BGS) is currently expanding its range of services at the Vilnius airport.   The company started distributing tickets to the flights carried out by all the world’s airlines and currently offers travellers the best connecting flight variants.   In addition, it provides services to the airlines, which recently started their flights to Vilnius.

“Today in our office at the Vilnius airport you can buy tickets to the flights from anywhere to anywhere, carried out by any airline in the world. We obtained the license and signed all necessary agreements and are, therefore, authorized to carry out this activity. We continue to expand the range of services and are optimistic about the business perspective,” said the Baltic Ground Services Director Saulius Batavičius.

According to him, now, when very few direct flights are carried out from Vilnius, comfortable connecting flights to the European and world cities are of crucial importance to our clients. Being able to offer all services provided by the airline companies around the world, Baltic Ground Services submits to its clients the best flight time and price offers.

“We seek to grant our clients flights with as few interchanges as possible and reduce the wait time between   flights to the minimum as it is what mostly helps to reduce the clients’ financial expenses,” is convinced Mr. Batavičius.

The BGS Sales Office is situated at the Vilnius airport departure hall on the second floor.

At the Vilnius airport BGS continues to develop its direct activities, for example, it started providing ground services to the airline Brussels Airlines, which has recently started its flights to Vilnius. BGS services the Brussels Airlines’ flight passengers, carries out the luggage registration and search, attends to the Belgian company’s aircraft at the platform, and so on.

BGS provides ground services to such airline companies as Finnair, LOT, Aer Lingus, flyLAL Charters and so on, as well as to DHL, the world leader in the field of emergency international transportation and logistics.

Baltic Ground Services (BGS) presents new service - aircraft fuelling

[2009-02-14]

On 4^th of February 2009 we have got all permissions from Ministry of Transportation to become as independent supplier of fuel at VNO and on 14^th of February we started with fuelling operations. We are using two brand new reaction refueling machines meeting the highest safety requirements, assuring high quality and safe handling.

Baltic Ground Services leaves Kaunas Airport

[2008-12-04]

A ground handling company Baltic Ground Services reports on its termination of service provision at Kaunas Airport.

“Starting the provision of ground services we expected that Kaunas Airport would actively develop its business, would attract more air carriers, and that number of passengers would increase”, said Saulius Batavičius, Director of Baltic Ground Services. “Unfortunately, presently only one air company regularly carries passengers from Kaunas Airport. It is expected that demand on cheap flights from Kaunas will also decrease due to a changing economic situation and declining emigration. In our opinion, further activity of Baltic Ground Services at Kaunas Airport is prospectless”.  

According to Head of Baltic Ground Services, Vilnius International Airport remains the main airport of our country. It develops and will have even more opportunities to increase the number of flights and streams of passengers when a private passenger terminal is constructed. Services provided by Baltic Ground Services will be mostly developed here.

“It is not far from Kaunas to Vilnius. Therefore, in the future a larger part of travellers will take flights not from Kaunas, but from Vilnius Airport”, assures Batavičius.

In the winter season more than 20 airlines operate flights from Vilnius Airport. During eleven months of 2008, in comparison with the same period of the previous year, the stream of passengers increased by 22 percent, and the number of flights increased by 20 percent. Baltic Ground Services UAB constitutes about 50 percent of the ground handling market at Vilnius Airport.

Apart from Vilnius, the company Baltic Ground Services provides services at Riga Airport and intends to cooperate with Palanga Airport”.

At Kaunas Airport Baltic Ground Services provided its services since March 20^th 2006. Passenger services and aircraft handling services were provided there. It is estimated that activity termination procedure will be completed until December 31^st 2008. The whole equipment will be moved from Kaunas to Vilnius. Baltic Ground Services employers who were working in Kaunas will be also transferred to Vilnius.  

flyLAL Group Services AB has aimed at Baltic Ground Services UAB

[2008-07-03]

Aviation Business Group flyLAL Group Services AB has commenced legal procedures of acquisition of ground services company Baltic Ground Services UAB. flyLAL Group Services is planning to acquire 100% of  Baltic Ground Services shares from investment company Invalda AB.

“Our Group is carrying out strategic development of the range of services provided to air companies”, stated CEO of flyLAL Group Services Mr. Linas Dovydėnas.   – “Acquisition of company Baltic Ground Services, in addition to training of pilots and flight attendants, technical maintenance of airplanes and ticket sale will enable us to offer also ground services to airlines”.

According to CEO of flyLAL Group Services, Baltic Ground Services is a promising rapidly-growing company: in three years of activities, it doubled its turnover, provides services in as many as three airports by now.

Acquisition of Baltic Ground Services will enable the Group to accomplish formation of its services portfolio and will increase the value of Group flyLAL Group Services”, stated Mr. L. Dovydėnas. “Experience of ground services specialists will be useful when designing and constructing passengers terminal at Vilnius International Airport”.

At present, Baltic Ground Services holds 45% of the airplane ground servicing market in Vilnius Airport. The company provides services to passengers and aircrafts also in Kaunas and Riga international airports. The company is planning to start providing services in Palanga airport, as well.

Clients of the ground services company includes the following airlines: flyLAL – Lithuanian Airlines, Finnair, Aer Lingus, LOT, Flysmaland, airBaltic (provides a part of the ground services package), as well as global leader of express international delivery and logistics DHL.

Baltic Ground Services had been operating as an independent company since 2005, when it was separated from JSC Lithuanian Airlines.

BGS enters the international air market

[2008-04-24]

At the end of March, Baltic Ground Services Ltd. (BGS) implemented a new planned development stage – since now the company provides ground handling services not only in Lithuania, but also in Latvia. BGS employees will provide passengers and baggage check-in, perform baggage search (lost & found) and accompany minors at the request of their family members to the necessary flight, as well as will provide other services in the Riga airport.

BGS associated its decision to start operation in Latvia with the continuous development of activities and flights of the main partner – airline “flyLAL Lithuanian Airlines” from Riga.

 “With united efforts it is simpler to get established in the new market. We think that thanks to high quality of our services and attractive prices we will be able to attract new clients what in its own turn will foster further development of activities”, told the director of BGS Ltd. Saulius Batavičius.

***

About Baltic Ground Services

BGS was established in September 2005 after privatization of the national airline “Lithuanian Airlines”, where one of the units (the so-called profit centres) operated. It provides ground  handling services at the Vilnius, Riga and Kaunas airports. Among the clients of the company are over two dozen companies, including “FlyLAL Lithuanian Airlines”, “LOT Polish Airlines”, DHL, “Finnair”, “Aerlingus”, “Flysmaland”, etc.

Baltic Ground Services (BGS) has implemented ISO 9001:2000 / LST EN ISO 9001:2001 management system

[2007-12-18]

On 2007 December 18 Bureu Veritas Certification issued a certificate for „Baltic Ground Services“ (BGS), which shows that the company management corresponds to ISO 9001:2000 / LST EN ISO 9001:2001 standard.