Companies hoping for the lucrative contracts for ground handling services in the Aena airport network should know their fate after Tuesday, when the tender process comes to an end.

Aena has reported that some 168 offers had been received to the contracts, both from companies that are already present in its airport network and from new ones with experience in the sector, since the process began in July.

In total, there are 41 licences up for grabs in 43 airports and 2 heliports for a period of seven years.

In a statement, Aena explains that once it is designated which operators will obtain the new licences, it must be the airlines that have to establish a commercial relationship with them, although they may also request to provide the service to themselves (autohandling) under the terms and under the conditions established in the contract.

The tender for third-party ground assistance services, in the ramp handling category, brings together, among other tasks, baggage assistance, assistance to runway operations and cargo and mail assistance, with respect to its physical manipulation between the terminal. Fuel assistance services, which are tendered in another process, are left out of this process.

At Alicante Elche Miguel Hernadez airport, 3 licences will be fulfilled, the same number as at Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas, Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat, Palma de Mallorca, and Málaga-Costa del Sol. While Gran Canaria, Tenerife South, Valencia, Ibiza, Seville, César Manrique-Lanzarote, Bilbao, Tenerife North-Ciudad de La Laguna, Fuerteventura and Menorca will continue to have 2 licences each.

The rest of the airports are grouped into three lots that represent 3 licences, to which must be added the one for the Ceuta and Algeciras heliports and the two cargo licences for the Zaragoza and Vitoria airports.