As Emirates takes delivery of the flagship of its fleet - the A380 - we find out how the airline will handle this giant amongst aircraft. We talk to Southwest Airlines, Flybe, Malaysia Airlines, Kuwait Airways, China Southern and Turkish Airlines about their handling procurement strategies. On the cargo front, we Interview Volga Dnepr and Gollog; and we also tackle cargo IT. We interview handlers too - Bahrain Airport Services, Aviapartner and CIAS - about their plans for growing their businesses. Finally, we tackle fuel pricing, ground handling in Africa and property law contracts for handlers airside.

In the June issue of Airline Handling International, Lufthansa’s Stephan Klar, Vice President Commercial Airport and Handling Relations, and Oliver Wagner, Vice President Global Airport Products and Services, explain why Lufthansa has adopted a market forces approach to acquiring ramp handling services and a high technology approach to passenger and baggage handling. Georg Theis, Senior Director – Airports at Air Canada, and Dominic Paul, bmi’s Director of Airport Services, Ground Operations and Cargo, describe their passenger handling initiatives, as does Matt Lee, Director of Flight Operations and Airports at Virgin Atlantic.

Alex Cruz, Chief Executive Officer of clickair explains his low-cost airline model for passenger handling, and Vladimir Smirnov, Director of Aeroflot Ground Handling, tells us how joining the SkyTeam Alliance in 2006 has impacted on his airline’s handling processes and procedures. On the passenger with reduced mobility front, Jean Pierre Lefebvre, Air France’s Corporate Coordinator for the Handling of Passengers with Reduced Mobility, talks to us about Air France’s Saphir programme to ensure equality for passengers with all levels of mobility when travelling by air.

In terms of freight, Cargolux Vice-President, Pierre Wesner, answers our questions about handler selection for this integrated transportation company; and Massimo Panagia, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Cargoitalia, talks very clearly about his airline’s handling needs. Finally for freight, Olivier Bijaoui, Executive Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Worldwide Flight Services, talks to Airline Handling International about his strategy for this very large and ambitious cargo and ground handler.

Also in this issue, we investigate gategroup’s metamorphosis and objectives as the group evolves from an airline catering department into an assembly of airline services businesses. We talk to the Transported Asset Protection Association about asset security and we interview Rishi Thakurdin, Group Manager Legal Services at Airports Company South Africa. We also investigate investment decisions in the handling industry and ask whether there is such a thing as a collaborative community for handling IT.

With introductions from IAHA and IATA, Airline Handling International 2007/8 reaches into each geographic region to present the reader with analysis and in-depth articles about airline handling buying decisions as well as service provision in each region, be it from independent, airline or airport handlers.

In Europe, Air Berlin and easyJet both explain their low-cost buying decisions while Menzies talks growth and Swissport talks strategy. The Little Big Tug Company, AAT and Axxicom Airport Caddy all tell us about their handling products and then there are catering concepts from Gate Gourmet and IT solutions from Lufthansa Systems, IBM, Sky Assist, Rostima and Workbridge Solutions.

Headed further east and Volga-Dnepr Group, Czech Airlines and MALÉV Hungarian Airlines all explain their purchasing strategies and, in the Americas, Southwest Airlines tells us why IBM's kiosks are the way forward. Staying with the Americas, handlers from DAL Global Services, ASIG, Worldwide Flight Services to ACGHS carefully describe their various approaches to handling.

In the Middle East & Africa, Emirates SkyCargo gives us insight into its handling choices while Dnata Airport Services and

Dnata Cargo focus on their areas of expertise. MEAG, International Aviation Bureau, Aero Services Egypt, Equity Aviation Services and NAHCo are all featured. Finally, in Asia and Asia Pacific, Air Deccan gives us an airline perspective while handling expertise comes from KL Airport Services' and Hactl.