Menzies Aviation has won a ground handling contract with JetSMART covering 11 airports in Colombia, an agreement that more than doubles the handler's station network in the country and consolidates the ultra-low-cost carrier's ramp operations under a single provider.

The contract covers more than 43,000 aircraft turns annually, a volume that places JetSMART among the significant domestic handling customers in the Colombian market. Operations began in September at the four airports where Menzies already had a presence: Barranquilla, Bogotá, Cali and Medellín. The agreement adds seven new stations — Bucaramanga, Cartagena, Cúcuta, Montería, Pereira, San Andrés and Santa Marta — taking Menzies from four to 11 locations in Colombia.

For JetSMART, the consolidation matters operationally. The airline has been expanding its Colombian domestic network, and running ramp, baggage and passenger services through one handler across all 11 airports gives it a single standard for turnaround performance and ground-side reliability. That consistency is a common pressure point for low-cost carriers scaling quickly in fragmented multi-station markets, where mixed handling providers often produce uneven dispatch performance.

The deal also extends a relationship that already exists in Chile, where Menzies supports JetSMART in 10 cities. The Colombian contract marks the start of the partnership in that market.

Menzies said the Colombian operation will run with trained personnel and modern ground support equipment, including lower-emission assets. The handler did not disclose contract duration or financial terms.

"We are pleased to expand our partnership with JetSMART into Colombia," said Hassan El-Houry, CEO of Menzies Aviation. "It significantly grows our presence in the country and reflects the trust airlines place in Menzies to deliver safe, reliable, and high-quality services in established and new locations."

Rodrigo Barrios, chief operating officer of JetSMART Airlines, said the expanded relationship will support operational reliability and consistency as the airline continues growing its Colombian network.

The win reinforces Menzies' position in Latin America, a region where ground services consolidation has tracked the rapid growth of low-cost carriers across Colombia, Chile, Peru and Brazil. For JetSMART — an airline group backed by Indigo Partners that has pushed cross-border expansion from its Chilean base into Argentina, Peru and Colombia — a unified handling partner reduces the integration burden that typically accompanies multi-country network growth.

With operations already live at the four legacy stations since September, the immediate test will be standing up service at the seven new airports quickly enough to match JetSMART's schedule expansion, and holding turnaround consistency across all 11 as the carrier adds capacity.