The Zurich-based ground handling agent received ISO 45001:2018 certification for 9 Spanish airports with 12 business lines in operation. From the employees' point of view, this means that a higher level has been reached in ensuring their occupational health and safety and preventing work-related injury and hazardous situations whilst carrying out their jobs. This responsibility includes promoting and protecting both the physical and mental wellbeing of its staff.
Immediate benefits
The ISO umbrella applies to most of the 1,500 employees listed on Swissport's payroll in Spain. “The health and safety of our employees are our first priority, and the ISO certification is a
globally recognized endorsement of Swissport’s operations in Spain for our customer airlines and airports. While it does not provide a direct commercial benefit, it supports our prioritization of
operating safely,” a spokesman illustrates the immediate benefits resulting from the certification.
However, Swissport still lacks ISO certification at six airports, since the handling agent provides a multitude of services to a total of 15 Spanish airports.
Cargo stands high on Swissport’s agenda in Spain
The ground handler is engaged in cargo activities at five of these airports. They include the major players with the highest share of air traffic: Madrid Barajas (MAD), Barcelona-El Prat (BCN),
Malaga - Costa del Sol (AGP), Aeroport de Valencia (VLC), and Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport (ALC).
In addition, the company manages five freight centers across the country, with a total of more than 25,000 m² of state-of-the-art warehousing space. The Swissport air cargo center at Josep
Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport is IATA CEIV Pharma certified, and the cargo facility at Madrid–Barajas Airport is expected to be certified within the next few weeks, a release
announces.
Active in Spain for 16 years
From JAN-JUL23, Swissport’s Spanish air freight division handled a total 51,000 metric tons of cargo across all 5 locations, a company representative confirms when asked by CargoForwarder Global
to provide figures.
The aviation service provider is not a no name in Spain as Swissport has been operating there since 2007, successively expanding its activities and geographical reach ever since. The company
provides airlines with a comprehensive range of airport ground services, including passenger services, baggage and air cargo handling, rounded off by executive aviation activities.
Swissport is currently the third-largest cargo handling agent in Spain after IAG and WFS, and the second-largest worldwide. In 2022, the company handled 4.8 million metric tons of cargo through
117 cargo warehouses.
Portugal is still a white spot on Swissport’s global map
The question remains as to how significant the Spanish market is for Swissport’s cargo activities. The answer, given by a spokesman, is this: “Swissport pursues an ambitious growth plan
across all business lines. Spain is an important market for Swissport in reinforcing its role as a global leader in air cargo handling. At both Barcelona-El Prat Airport and Madrid-Barajas
Airport, Swissport maintains IATA CEIV Pharma-certified cooling centers as a part of its cargo facilities.”
However, in contrast to Spain, the agent is not active at any of the neighboring Portuguese airports, such as Lisbon, Porto, Faro, or Coimbra.
At least, not yet.
Heiner Siegmund
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