Following the European Parliament's vote to further liberalise ground handling services at airports, GUE/NGL Sabine Wils slated the scheme as a "massive setback for workers’ rights and passenger safety".

"Together with trade unions, we had continuously campaigned against these terrible proposals for the ground handling sector. Sadly, MEPs, despite having voted last December against the proposals, have now done a U-turn and rubberstamped an attack on the working conditions of employees facing new pressures on their already low wages. Enforcing the presence of at least three ground handling companies in some airports is a senseless and dangerous move. We will redouble our struggle alongside trade unions against this attack."