Etihad ties up with Swissport
03 / 04 / 2013
ETIHAD CARGO has chosen international ground handling company Swissport to be its first preferred handling partner (PHP).
The two-year certification is focused initially on six Etihad Cargo stations at Athens, Geneva, Larnaca, Nairobi, Seoul and Toronto.
The eventual aim is to expand the agreement to service destinations at more than 100 off-line Swissport destinations which Etihad Cargo offers in conjunction with partners.
“Only companies which meet the high service performance standards of Etihad Cargo – and can assure consistency in quality across their regional operations – can be certified as a PHP,” says Kevin Knight, chief strategy and planning officer at Etihad Airways.
Etihad Cargo has identified specific minimum performance benchmarks in safety, security management, regulatory compliance, training, IT interfaces, business planning and risk management.
“Swissport is world-renowned and has an enviable track record in providing high-quality and efficient ground services to cargo operators,” Knight adds.
The ground-breaking agreement came after an extensive audit of Swissport’s corporate procedures and compliance with Etihad’s expectations.
“We believe this PHP certification not only makes sound business sense, but the synergies derived from the deal also raise the bar for other suppliers to join our Etihad Cargo PHP programme,” he adds.
The move will standardise the product and service both companies will jointly deliver, strengthening network operations, and enhancing the reliability and quality of ground handling services.
John Batten, executive vice-president of cargo services at Swissport International, enthuses: “We’re proud Etihad Cargo has chosen us as their first ever preferred handling partner.”
Both Swissport and Etihad Cargo are members of the Cargo 2000 (C2K) industry group. Its mission is to create and implement a C2K quality standard and management system by bringing about greater efficiencies, improving customer service and reducing costs.
