LEADING fleet management companies are believed to be in the running to purchase British Airways' Ground Fleet Services operation. The division operates more than 7,000 ground support vehicles, ranging from tractor units and mobile aircraft steps to crewbuses and around 1,000 management cars.

BA this week confirmed that it is in talks with a number of interested parties about the potential sale of GFS as part of its Business Efficiency Programme, which is designed to cut costs and focus resources on core activities.

Lex Vehicle Leasing, which won the ground-breaking RAF White fleet contract and Cowie Interleasing, which was last month linked with another large MoD contract, are just two of the companies which Fleet News understands have held negotiations with BA.