Havaalanları Yer Hizmetleri A.Ş. (Havaş), the first Ground Handling Services Company in Turkey, was founded by the state in 1933 to provide ground handling and catering services for airlines. Whereas catering services of the company were privatized under the name USAŞ in 1987, ground handling services unit continued to render services under the name Havaalanları Yer Hizmetleri A.Ş.

Having been taken into the scope of privatization, Havaş was included in the structure of Ciner Group upon purchase of its shares in April 1995. Later, in March 1998, Swissport purchased 40% of Havaş shares and became a partner and this partnership continued till July 2005 with share portions as 60% to Ciner Group and 40% to Swissport. Investors’ interest in Havaş, one of the leading corporations in Turkey, continued and as of July 2005 it turned into TAV-Swissport partnership after 60% of its shares held by Ciner Group were purchased by TAV Havalimanları Holding, which is the leading company of Turkish Civil Aviation and which also builds and operates several airport terminals. These were not the only developments in the share structure of Havaş; right after the restructure, upon transfer of shares by Swissport to Ciner Group, the partnership structure in Havaş turned into TAV-Ciner Group again.

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