Brussels/Amsterdam, 30.09.2008 – The Belgian ground handling company Aviapartner has again opted for the purchase of VOLK Hybrid Tow Tractors, thus continuing its successful cooperation with VOLK. The vehicles were recently delivered to Amsterdam/Schiphol.

Aviapartner has been operating at Amsterdam/Schiphol Airport since 1999, which was immediately after the European Competition Commission’s liberalization policy cleared the way for independent ground handling agents. In the following years, the Amsterdam/Schiphol station developed rapidly. In Aviapartner’s European network of 37 airports, Amsterdam/Schiphol is the fourth largest base. In the year 2007, Aviapartner serviced more than 20.000 flights and 3.6 million passengers with its 470 employees.

Among the airlines which rely on the services of Avia-
partner in Amsterdam are low cost carriers such as bmi baby and Vueling, as well as traditional network airlines such as Lufthansa, Swiss International Airlines and

Aviapartner has been in operation at Amsterdam/Schiphol Airport (IATA code AMS) for ten years, for Lufthansa among others – This year the Aviapartner branch there was distinguished for its high service quality in ground handling

The VOLK Hybrid Tow Tractors type HFZ 30 NT are second generation hybrid vehicles – VOLK is the European market leader in this product segment

The HFZ 30 NT tow tractors are designed as serial hy-
brid vehicles. These are second generation hybrid tow tractors, which display numerous advantages when compared with the hydrostatically driven tow tractors used in the past – significantly lower acquisition costs, lower maintenance and operating costs and lower downtimes, to name just the most important benefits.

From a technical perspective, the most apparent differ-
ence is that the vehicle is always driven by a powerful
AC electric motor, so that no hydrostatic drive compo-
nents are necessary. During diesel operation outside, the current for the electric drive motor is produced by a generator driven by the diesel engine of the vehicle. The excess power of the generator is used to recharge the traction batteries, so that longer distances can also be covered with battery electricity without use of the diesel engine.

This technology, which is currently creating a sensation in the automobile industry, was used by VOLK for the

The decision for the high-quality, innovative VOLK Hybrid Tow Tractors thus stands in accord with Aviapartner’s strategic positioning as a quality provider of ground handling services.

Since central quality indicators in ground handling such as first bag/last bag performance – the time duration between the arrival of an airplane and the appearance of the first or last piece of baggage on the conveyor – de-
pend on the performance and reliability of the ground support equipment, such positioning must necessarily comprise also the technical basis of service provision. The fact that Aviapartner is very successful here is proven by the Passenger Ground Handling Award, with which the company was distinguished this year for its service quality at Amsterdam/Schiphol Airport. 

Aviapartner operates at 37 airports and is the largest independent third-
party handler in Europe – In the year 2007, the company grew by a stunning 35 percent

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