The new 5-year collaboration represents a significant increase of handling volumes for Swissport’s activities at Frankfurt Airport. Cathay Pacific Cargo, one of the world’s largest international cargo carriers, renowned for its strong network in Asia, Australia and New Zealand, has made Frankfurt its European air cargo hub. The contract represents 26,000 tons of cargo per year, flown with freight aircraft (four weekly flights with Boeing 747-400 or 747-8) and four weekly passenger flights (Boeing 777 or Airbus 350) between Frankfurt, the US and Hong Kong.
“We are very pleased with this vote of confidence by Cathay Pacific Cargo, one of the world’s leading air cargo carriers,” says Henning Dieter, Head of Swissport Cargo Services Germany. “Our investments in high-tech equipment and digitalization combined with the increased warehousing space provide a strong foundation for a mutually beneficial collaboration.”
The new contract was awarded after a thorough selection process and is based on a successful international cooperation. Cathay Pacific Cargo relies on Swissport’s air cargo handling and ground services at various airports in a dozen countries around the globe.
Earlier this week, Swissport started operations at its brand new 17,000 sqm facility at Frankfurt Airport, increasing air cargo capacity by about 50%. The integrated Swissport Pharma Center guarantees end-to-end temperature-controlled processing and warehousing for pharmaceutical shipments, an important European export product not only in times of COVID-19. The new location features a state-of-the-art infrastructure, innovative technology, sustainable energy creation and digitalized processes for traffic control.
In 2019, Swissport International AG provided best-in-class airport ground services for some 265 million airline passengers and handled roughly 4.6 million tons of air freight in 115 cargo warehouses worldwide. Several of its warehouses have been certified for pharmaceutical logistics by IATA’s CEIV Pharma and by the British MHRA. The world’s leader in airport ground services and air cargo handling, with currently 45,600 employees, achieved consolidated operating revenue of 3.13 billion euros in 2019. At the end of September 2020, Swissport was active at 298 airports in 47 countries on six continents.
