There is to be a change at the top of PortGround GmbH. Bettina Ganghofer is taking over the management of the subsidiary of the Mitteldeutsche Airport Holding on 1 April 2009.
The 45 year old will succeed Dierk Naether. Since his appointment as Managing Director of Leipzig/Halle Airport GmbH on 1 December 2008, he has been directing both companies concurrently.

Bettina Ganghofer has been working for the past five years as a member of the senior management at Shanghai Pudong Intl. Airport Cargo Terminal Co., Ltd. (PACTL), a German-Chinese joint venture between Shanghai Airport Lufthansa Cargo and a Chinese logistics company. With a staff of 1700, it operates one of the largest airfreight terminals worldwide. Besides being responsible for marketing and sales, Mrs Ganghofer has been in charge of handling, quality management and IT. Her international career as an expert in her field, has taken her to Europe, Africa and Asia.

Markus Kopp, CEO of the Mitteldeutsche Airport Holding: »With the appointment of Mrs Ganghofer, we have succeeded in strengthening our management team with a recognised industry expert, who has attained an excellent reputation internationally. We are delighted to welcome someone to our managerial team with such a wealth of experience and connections worldwide.«

PortGround GmbH provides ground handling and freight services for the Mitteldeutsche Airport Holding at the Leipzig/Halle and Dresden Airports. Dierk Naether had been the Managing Director of the company since its launch in 2001.

»Bettina Ganghofer will take over a company in excellent shape. Under Dierk Naether’s management, PortGround has become an outstanding example of the airports desire to meet customer needs«, added Markus Kopp.

PortGround, a fully owned subsidiary of Mitteldeutsche Airport Holding, operates as a ground and freight handler and service provider at Leipzig/Halle and Dresden Airports. With a current staff of about 330 and a large fleet of advanced vehicles and equipment, operational readiness is guaranteed 365 days around the clock. PortGround works together, or has cooperation agreements, with local companies at the two sites and can deal with all types of planes using modern techniques and complying with international standards. The range of services includes loading and unloading aircraft, handling in apron areas, towing, auxiliary starting, internal cleaning, water supply and disposal, etc., all performed pursuant to the current version of IATA AHM 810 standards.

Mitteldeutsche Airport Holding is the overall trade name used by Mitteldeutsche Flughafen AG, a company operated by the public sector. The group has several subsidiary companies: Leipzig/Halle Airport, Dresden International Airport, PortGround and EasternAirCargo.
The group handled 96,892 aircraft movements, 4.32 million passengers and 442,750 tonnes of freight in 2008. The Group directly employs 970 members of staff and trainees. More than 7,000 people are employed at the Mitteldeutsche Flughafen AG business sites in various companies and public authorities.