The hub, which opened last year, focusses on temperature-sensitive and high-value cargo shipments between Europe and Asia. From June 2019, Swissport will handle over 600 tons of perishables, pharmaceuticals and general cargo each day at the 31,000 square metre facility.
As well as operating the hub for Finnair Cargo, Swissport will also continue to provide cargo services for further customers at its own cargo terminals at Helsinki airport.
The Helsinki facility (left) is equipped with innovative technology, including dedicated temperature-controlled areas. A packing area for seafood and other perishables is kept between 6°C and 8°C and the storage area at 2°C. In the pharmaceutical area the average temperature is 20°C. Sealed rooms provide storage in a temperature range between 2°C and 8°C and for goods that need to be frozen at lower temperatures.
“With the new contract, we strengthen our successful and long-standing cooperation with Finnair,” said Tomi Viitanen, CEO of Swissport Finland. “As the operator of Finnair’s main cargo hub, we are excited to contribute to the growth and digital transformation of air cargo handling at Helsinki airport.”
Managing Director of Finnair Cargo, Janne Tarvainen, also commented. “Swissport already is our trusted partner at numerous airports around the world and offers the most competitive package to further develop our cargo operations. With their drive for innovation and operational excellence they are an ideal partner for us to develop and expand our concept of data-driven and proactive operations steering across our network,” he said.