Swissport sees air cargo volumes decline
27 / 02 / 2023
Source: Swissport
Ground handler Swissport saw its air cargo volumes decline last year due to weakening economic conditions and supply chain issues.
The company last year handled 4.8m tonnes of cargo, a 5.9% decline compared with the 5.1m processed in 2021.
Swissport said the result was “solid” and added that the decline reflected “global supply chain issues, the war in Ukraine and a tightening of monetary policy by leading central banks”.
The overall handling market – particularly over the summer – was characterised by “growing pains as global aviation struggled to get back on its feet” following the pandemic, Swissport said.
“Thanks to early staffing efforts in the spring, Swissport was well prepared to support airlines as a reliable partner when they rapidly ramped up their flight schedules ahead of the spring and summer holidays,” said Warwick Brady, president and chief executive of Swissport International.
“Considering the unique challenges of 2022, the first post-Covid year, we delivered a very solid result,” he added.
The company said that it had accelerated its revenue growth, although it did not reveal exact figures.
Meanwhile, the number of flights handled in 2022 increased to 3.3m from 2m in 2021 and the number of passengers service increased to 186m from 97m.
“In the current market environment, airlines increasingly focus on their core business,” said Brady. “Many turn to Swissport when outsourcing ground services, and increasingly so for hub or large base operations.”
