Swissport buys BAS to expand in Liege

"Between them, the two companies operate cargo centers with a combined capacity of 76,000 sq.m. in Belgium - half of which is at Liège Airport. Swissport also operates a modern 38,000 sq.m. air cargo facility at Brussels airport, including a state-of-the-art Swissport Pharma Center," according to an official statement from Swissport.

BAS clients include El Al, Turkish Airlines and Hongyuan group. "BAS will initially be run as a standalone business to ensure service consistency for its customers. The operational leadership team of BAS will remain in charge of running the BAS operation, and employment and working conditions will also be maintained. At a later stage, services will be integrated and consolidated under the Swissport brand."

Swissport is also expanding in The Netherlands with an additional air cargo centre at Schiphol Airport.

"I am very excited about the cooperation between Swissport and BAS at Liège Airport, a world-renowned air cargo hub," says Jan van Engelen, Head of Continental Europe, Swissport. "This positions Swissport as an even stronger partner for airlines and forwarders in Liège and in Belgium as a whole. Swissport will continue to invest in developing its cargo business as a strategic pillar in Belgium and beyond. In Amsterdam, for example, we are adding an additional air cargo centre, which significantly increases our capacity at Schiphol Airport."

Dimitri Bettoni, Managing Director, Swissport Belgium, added: "Cargo volumes have been soaring and so warehousing space is crucial. Belgium Airport Services is a high performing company, operating a sizable airside cargo facility adjacent to our existing facility in Liège, plus two additional second line warehouses. With this acquisition, Swissport adds more than 40 percent to its Belgian warehousing footprint, which now totals 76.000 sq.m."

Swissport handled a record 5.1 million metric tonnes in 2021 (2019: 4.6 million tonnes) through over 100 air cargo centres.