Another shuffling of ground-service companies at Denver International Airport means that 187 full-time workers will lose their jobs.
Swissport notified the state’s labor department that it is reducing its local workforce at DIA, effective Sept. 16, due to “a result of significant loss of business,” the company said in the letter. The company learned of this business loss on July 29, and employees found out three days later they were losing their jobs.
The bulk of the jobs are customer service agents, ramp agents and bag handlers.
Officials from Switzerland-based Swissport were not available for immediate comment.
In May, Menzies Aviation announced that its U.S. subsidiary, from Frontier Airlines for Denver. Simplicity is expected to start Sept. 17.John Redmond, Menzies’ senior vice president Americas, said in a statement that Simplicity will handle Frontier’s “ramp services, passenger services, short tows and operations, and will employ nearly 300 people, bringing our total roster at the station to almost 800.”
Jim Faulkner, a Frontier spokesman, confirmed Friday that the airline did switch from Swissport to Simplicity.
“Simplicity is our business partner in other stations like Phoenix and Orlando and we have a good relationship with them,” said Faulkner, adding that Simplicity was interviewing Swissport workers to fill the jobs.
Ground-service companies at DIA have seen some shuffling in recent years. United in 2014 and hired Simplicity in late 2014. The transition resulted in for United. In May, DALGlobal Services decided to go with Swissport for ground services.
