Swissport is continuing to expand in Germany with the acquisition of Apron, making Stuttgart the company’s second largest cargo hub in the country after Frankfurt.

The Swiss cargo handler and ground services provider will handle most of the air cargo at Stuttgart Airport, and the acquisition will increase Swissport’s cargo revenue in Germany by nearly 20 per cent.

Swissport senior vice president for Germany, Austria and Switzerland, Willy Ruf says: “With the addition of Stuttgart to our global network, our clients will now be able to rely on our high-quality cargo services at eleven airports across Germany. Thanks to the direct tarmac access of the Stuttgart cargo facility, cargo shipments can be handled with short transit times.”

More than 27,000 tons of air cargo was handled in Stuttgart in 2017 including specialised cargo shipments.

Swissport is investing in other German logistics hubs, including a 16,000 square metre warehouse in Frankfurt that was announced in April this year.