Edinburgh's Menzies Aviation lands three key contracts at major Asian airports

Menzies, the Edinburgh-headquartered aviation services group operating at more than 200 airports worldwide, has secured three contract wins in south-east Asia and China.

The firm said the agreements with Rimbun Air, My Indo and Raya Air reflected the success of its growth strategy in the region.

A new three-year contract with fast-growing Indonesian cargo and regional passenger airline Rimbun Air will see Menzies handle up to six daily cargo flights for the airline’s two 737 aircraft at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (CGK).

The win will add an additional 40 flights per week to the Scots group’s Jakarta ground services operations, “significantly increasing” the volume handled by the team.

Also at CGK, Malaysian cargo carrier Raya Air has selected the firm to support its operations, starting with four weekly flights and growing. Raya Air is a new customer for Menzies.

Both contracts provide Menzies with continued growth in Indonesia. The firm has also won new business with My Indo Airlines, providing freighter, ramp and cargo services to the airline at Macau International Airport (MFM).

The initial two-year contract will see the group handle an additional estimated 2,000 tonnes of cargo per year. Menzies has been operating at the airport for the past 22 years.

The latest contract wins follow the appointment of James Wong as senior vice president, south-east Asia and China.

Menzies said the agreements with Rimbun Air, My Indo and Raya Air reflected the success of its growth strategy in the region.

Alistair Reid, executive vice president, Oceania and south-east Asia, Menzies Aviation, said: “We are pleased to announce our recent contract wins with Rimbun Air, My Indo Airlines and Raya Air alongside the appointment of James Wong as SVP south-east Asia and China. James is based in Singapore and it’s great to see he is already strengthening our existing relationships and developing new partnerships.

“I am looking forward to working with him to develop our operations as the region continues to emerge from the pandemic and the associated travel restrictions.”

Earlier this year, bosses at Menzies accepted a takeover offer by a Kuwaiti firm, creating a business with a combined global headcount of 35,000.

John Menzies started out in 1833 when its eponymous founder opened a bookshop at 61 Princes Street, Edinburgh. The newspaper and magazine distribution business was spun out in 2018, creating Menzies Distribution, and leaving the rest of the firm to focus on providing aviation services.

The firm operates at more than 210 airports in 38 countries, supported by a team of 27,000 people.

In 2021, Menzies Aviation handled 600,000 aircraft turns, some 1.7 million tonnes of cargo and fuelled 2.5 million turnarounds. Customers include Air Canada, Air France-KLM, American Airlines, EasyJet, IAG, Qantas Group, Qatar Airways, Southwest, United Airlines and WizzAir.

Last month, the group landed a series of contract wins at Los Angeles International Airport, its largest location in the Americas.

Menzies also recently acquired a controlling stake in a firm that provides ground and air cargo handling services in Chile. Agunsa Aviation Services was a wholly owned subsidiary of Agencias Universales, a large and diverse Chilean business with a long history in logistics, originally in shipping logistics, and in more recent years in aviation.