The acquisition of cargo handler Apron makes Stuttgart the second largest Swissport cargo hub in Germany, only topped by the Swiss company’s Frankfurt facility.
Swissport International will now add a large scale cargo warehouse to its global network of 133 such facilities. The Swiss market leader will be handling most of the air cargo tonnage at the airport of the Swabian capital, mainly for globally operating airline clients, and the acquisition will enable Swissport to increase its cargo revenues in Germany by nearly 20%; it will further strengthen its market position in one of its core businesses.
Besides cargo handling, Swissport will extend its product portfolio at Stuttgart airport to both cargo and mail transport, security services and training.
With 11m passengers passing through, Stuttgart is the eighth largest airport in Germany. More than 27,000 tonnes of air freight in 2017, including specialised car cargo shipments by the local car manufacturing industry, were handled in Stuttgart in 2017.
Swissport is investing at other German logistics hubs, too. In April 2018, the company announced a large scale expansion of its cargo infrastructure at Frankfurt airport. The new, custom-built air cargo warehouse will have a surface of around 16,000 square metres, making it the third largest in the handler's cargo network.