The company was formerly a member through the Aviance alliance but has now joined in its own right following its acquisition by Dnata, the Dubai-based international ground handler.
Paul Williams, Commercial Director of Plane Handling, said: 'We believe that Cargo 2000 offers a true industry benchmark for cargo handling performance. A number of our handled carriers are already members so it is key that we support them and at the same time measure and continually look to improve upon our own performance. As more carriers join, it will become more important for handlers such as Plane Handling to commit to the Cargo 2000 quality standards and values in what is an ever-changing and competitive environment.
Plane Handling was founded in 1987 and today handles 20% of the total air cargo throughput at London Heathrow and a further 20% of freight moving through the UK's Manchester Airport. The company also provides ramp, passenger and transport services.
Lothar Moehle, Regional Director, Europe, Middle East and Africa for Cargo 2000, said: 'We are delighted that Plane Handling's previous experience of Cargo 2000 has encouraged the company to come back and rejoin following its change of ownership. Many of Plane Handling's airline customers are themselves active members of Cargo 2000 and they will no doubt take great confidence from knowing they have a handling partner that shares their commitment to quality through performance measurement and improvement.'
Cargo 2000 now boasts a membership of 76 airlines, forwarders, GHAs, truckers and IT providers. Collectively, its airline and forwarder members are generally estimated to represent in excess of 65% of the worldwide air cargo market and in 2009 measured the performance of 13.6 million air cargo shipments against Cargo 2000's quality standards, a 16% increase over 2008.
