Swissport International and Flughafen Graz Betriebs, the operator of Austrian airport Graz – started a new cargo services joint venture on 1 February.

Swissport Cargo Services Graz will see Swissport holding 51 per cent and Graz Airport 49 per cent, and will initially have 12 employees providing extensive cargo services.

It is expected to handle about 10,000 tonnes of airfreight per year on behalf of its airline and forwarding clients.

Graz Airport managing director, Gerhard Widmann says: “Swissport is an ideal partner for us, and we are convinced forming a joint venture was the most sustainable and future-oriented solution for Graz Airport but also the economy of Styria.”

Swissport executive vice president for Europe Central, East and West, Philipp Joeinig explains: “Through our cooperation clients at Graz Airport will benefit from further improved quality standards paired with local know-how.

“We are proud to offer high quality and innovative cargo services in the form of the new joint venture Swissport Cargo Services Graz.”

Both say the benefits of the joint venture Swissport Cargo Services Graz for airlines and logistics companies is its location on the premises of the airport, offering direct access and handling facilities for air cargo.

They add, the existing customer base and the experienced staff add to this, make the new service provider equipped to offer its customers the best possible service.

Swissport Cargo Services Graz will operate in a 4,000 square metre warehouse, two truck docks and able to handle seven tonnes of cargo. There will be 15 resident freight forwarders and two airlines – Austrian Airlines and Air France/KLM.

Swissport as a whole handles 4.1 million tonnes of cargo a year on behalf of 835 client-companies in the aviation sector across the globe.