MEPs adopted in plenary session a proposal which aims to open up ground-handling services at major EU airports to more competition by increasing the minimum number of service providers. They added minimum quality standards and safeguard clauses for staff to the proposal.

The European Parliament adopted a proposal for which a minimum of three ground-handling operators, up from two today, should provide support services for airlines in airports handling more than 15 million passengers and/or 200,000 tons of freight per year. There will also be a strict separation of accounts for the airports providing their own handling services. The Transport and Tourism Committee rejected the proposal to boost competition to supply ground-handling services at major EU airports in November 2012.

MEPs also added certain social provisions, which should also apply to subcontractors, to the Commission's initial proposal. In the event that service providers are changed, member states will have to ensure that staff for airside services are transferred to the new service provider and collective agreements respected.

In 2011, 21 EU airports served more than 15 million passengers. These included London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Manchester, Dublin and London Stansted.