Swissport

Swissport International Ltd.

Industry	Aviation (outsourcing/subcontracting)
Founded	1996
Headquarters	Opfikon, Switzerland
Number of locations	280 airports
Area served	48 countries
Key people	Eric Born, President & CEO
Services	Ground handling Cargo services Executive aviation Aircraft maintenance Aviation security Travel services
Revenue	EUR 2.7 billion (2016)
Owner	HNA Group
Number of employees	Over 62,000
Website	http://swissport.com

Swissport International Ltd. is a Swiss aviation services company providing airport ground and cargo handling services, headquartered in Opfikon, Switzerland. It handles around 230 million passengers and 4.3 million tonnes of cargo annually, on behalf of some 835 client-companies in the aviation sector. With a workforce of around 62,000 personnel, Swissport is active at more than 280 locations in 48 countries, and generates consolidated operating revenue of EUR 2.7 billion.

The company was founded in 1996 as Swissair Ground Services International, an independent subsidiary of the former Swissair. In the following years, the company expanded both through organic growth and through various acquisitions. As part of the Swissair financial crisis, Swissport was first purchased by the British private equity firm Candover and in August 2005 by the Spanish construction company Ferrovial. In the meantime, the company has grown through various acquisitions. At the end of 2010, Ferrovial sold Swissport for €654 million to the French private equity firm PAI partners.

In August 2013, Swissport announced the acquisition of competitor Servisair. who bought Handlex in Canada which was part of the group Transat in 2012. In December 2013, the acquisition was approved, subject to conditions by the European Commission.

Over the years, Swissport has been the recipient of several industry awards including Ground Handling Award 2013, Air Cargo Handling Agent of the Year 2014 (for the sixth year in succession) and Global Aviation Ground Services Company 2012 (for the twelfth year in succession).

On July 31, 2015 it was announced that China's HNA Group, parent company of Hainan Airlines, was to purchase Swissport for $2.81 billion US. “The acquisition by HNA will enable the company to grow in the underpenetrated Asian markets and in China, in particular, thanks to HNA’s strong roots in the region,” Ricardo de Serdio, a partner at PAI Partners, said in a news release. Swissport, the world´s largest ground and cargo handling company, will remain as a stand-alone business within HNA Group, complementing HNA’s existing activities including aviation, airport management, logistics and tourism.