Swissport International and Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) have extended their highly successful collaboration. The new contract for 2010-2015 covers all ground handling at SWISS's three Swiss airports, with a total annual volume of some 64 000 flights.

Swissport International and Swiss International Air Lines are delighted to have concluded a new agreement covering the next five years. In taking this step, the partners have further confirmed their long-term thrust and alignment in the highly volatile air transport business. The new agreement will further enhance and develop the already well-established partnership between Swissport and SWISS at Zurich, Geneva and Basel airports.

The new contract includes:

• all passenger and baggage handling services
• all ramp services
• de-icing and
• various further airport services and customer processes.

"We are delighted to have concluded this new five-year agreement with SWISS," says Per H. Utnegaard, President & CEO of the Swissport International Group. "We are extremely pleased that our partner and our biggest customer has reaffirmed its trust and faith in us," he continues. "SWISS has always attached immense importance to reliability and quality. Additionally, this long-term partnership will not only underpin the consistency of the services we provide; it will also enable us to further enhance existing and develop new innovative services together with SWISS which will be of great benefit to passengers."

Swiss International Air Lines is equally pleased to extend the agreement. "We have every confidence looking ahead," confirms SWISS President & CEO Harry Hohmeister. "In a business as dynamic as ours, it is essential to work with innovative and customer-minded partners if you are to remain competitive in the longer term. Swissport has undertaken to meet all these needs for us for the next five years in the ground services field."


Photo: Per H. Utnegaard (left), CEO of Swissport International, with Harry Hohmeister, CEO of Swiss International Air Lines, during the signing ceremony.