DHL Supply Chain has announced the extension of its Gatwick ground handling agreement through to 2027.

The contract will see DHL continue to deliver core customer service and logistics operations including passenger arrival and bag-drop, baggage sortation, boarding gate marshalling, aircraft loading and unloading, as well as management of other service providers.

The extension follows a five-year contract signed in 2017, which after a successful launch at Gatwick, saw DHL’s services expand into Manchester and Bristol airports in 2020.

Spencer Conday, MD supply chain solutions, DHL Supply Chain, said: “The continuation of our partnership with easyJet is of huge importance to DHL and something that we are immensely proud of. In what has been an incredibly challenging time for the airline industry, we’ve worked in close partnership to respond to the changing needs of easyJet and its passengers.

“We’re looking forward to continuing to build on this relationship, and further enhancing operations and the travel experience for customers.”

Hugh McConnellogue, easyJet director of operations at London Gatwick, said: “We have been delighted with how the DHL partnership has developed over the last four years across three major UK airports. By reviewing every process in detail and implementing new methodologies, DHL has made changes that have hugely improved our overall performance and customer service”.

DHL took over ground handling operations for easyJet at London Gatwick in November 2017.

In 2020, the company became responsible for managing the ground handling for approximately 700 flights per week from Bristol and 500 from Manchester. At the end of March 2022, DHL will also take over cabin cleaning at Manchester, further building on the relationship.