Serpista, under the direction of José María Castillo Lacabex, has reaffirmed its position as a leader in airport equipment maintenance in Spain. The company, recognised for its excellence and dedication, has gained the trust of the main national handling operators, accumulating a total of 24 workshops at national airports such as Madrid, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Málaga, Alicante, Bilbao, Tenerife, and Las Palmas (Spain).
The experience accumulated at the national level has allowed Serpista to expand its operations internationally. Currently, the company maintains more than 4,000 motorised airport equipment, from aircraft tractors to refuelling trucks, in collaboration with renowned airlines. Among its international contracts are the maintenance of Mexico City Airport for Aeroméxico and the airports of Nice in France and Milan in Italy for Menzies Aviation. Additionally, in Saudi Arabia, the company works at Jeddah Airport for Al-Amad, and in the Dominican Republic, at Punta Cana Airport for AVIAM.
Recently, they have signed a contract at Sofia Airport, Bulgaria, thus expanding Grupo Cobra’s presence in Europe. This contract represents a significant milestone as it marks their entry into the Bulgarian market. Sofia Airport will benefit from Serpista’s experience and technical knowledge, ensuring high-quality maintenance and the implementation of industry best practices. SOF Connect, the current concessionaire of the airport, has contracted Grupo Cobra to outsource all workshop activities, with the initial objective of servicing more than 500 pieces of equipment, including snowploughs, fire trucks, handling equipment, refuelling trucks, and commercial vehicles.
In the words of José María Castillo Lacabex: “Soon, we will make significant investments in improving our workshop infrastructures. Additionally, we will introduce modern management procedures and provide continuous training to our professionals to ensure they are up to date with the latest technologies and industry practices.”
To carry out these activities, the company has a team of around 400 professionals distributed across about twenty workshops at the main airports where it operates. These activities include regular inspections, repairs, part replacements, preventive maintenance, technological updates, infrastructure management, and continuous staff training. These tasks ensure the safe and efficient operation of airports, prolong the lifespan of the equipment, and guarantee compliance with industry regulations.
With an unwavering commitment to sustainability and innovation, the company is also executing a conversion project to electrify more than 300 pieces of equipment in the fleet of South Europe Ground Services, a subsidiary of the airline Iberia, and one of the main national handling operators with a presence in 29 Spanish airports. The project aims to convert combustion ground equipment (currently powered by diesel engines) to electric, in order to give them a second life and advance the decarbonisation of airport services.
