Swissport International, is further expanding its operating network by entering the Italian passenger handling business…
Swissport International, is further expanding its operating network by entering the Italian passenger handling business. The new operations in Rome and Milan are scheduled to commence on May 1, 2005.
The Italian market is not totally unknown territory for Swissport International: the world’s leading ground services provider already conducts cargo handling operations in Florence, Milan-Malpensa and in Milan-Segrate. But on May 1 the group’s new Swissport Italy subsidiary will be adding passengers handling to its Italian services portfolio. Under current plans, the new activities will initially extend to station management, supervision and airport ticketing services (ATO) at Rome’s Fiumicino and Milan’s Malpensa airports.
The two airports are Italy’s most important hubs: Rome Fiumicino is served by some 130 airlines (with 300’000 flights) and handles 25 million passengers a year, while Malpensa is served by 150 carriers (with 220’000 flights) and handles 17 million passengers.
In expanding its operating network, and in view of the imminent deregulation of the local market, Swissport hopes to extend its services to further business areas in Italy in the medium-term future.
Swissport is buoyed in its expectations of further expansion in the Italian market by the interest that has already been shown in such services. Several reputed airlines have already confirmed or announced that they will be collaborating with Swissport for their Italian operations.
As part of the global commercial agreement between Swissport and Swiss International Air Lines, Swissport Italy will be taking over SWISS’s entire ground organisations at Milan and Rome together with their 15 personnel. The new Swissport operations will be headed by Simon Widmer, who can draw on some 30 years of experience in various functions within the air transport industry.
With a workforce of some 21 000 personnel, Swissport International Ltd. (which is majority-owned by London-based Candover Partners Ltd., a leading European buyout specialist) provides ground services for over 70 million passengers and three million tonnes of cargo a year on behalf of some 600 client companies. Swissport is active at 168 airports in 37 countries on four continents, and generated consolidated revenues of some CHF 1.3 billion (around USD 1.14 billion) last year.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
