Swissport International has been awarded a licence for 15 airports in a global tender for airport ground-handling services by the Moroccan airport operator ONDA. The new license has a term of seven years and is valid for the airports in Agadir, Al Hoceima, Casablanca, Dakhla, Errachidia, Essaouira, Fès, Laâyoune, Marrakech, Nador, Ouarzazate, Oujda, Rabat, Tangier and Tetouan. Swissport was awarded the license for two out of four lots and prevailed against half a dozen competitors.
By 2021, for example, Swissport will convert most of its fleet of ground support equipment at Marrakech airport to electric propulsion. Under the new concessions, Swissport will in total invest over $20.7 million in the renewal of its equipment of baggage carts, aircraft tow tractors and cargo loaders.
Swissport is the second-largest airport ground services company in Morocco after local Royal Air Maroc, and serves a total of 22 airline customers such as Air Arabia, Air Canada, British Airways, Easyjet, Lufthansa, Ryanair and TAP Air Portugal.
Swissport recently won a five-year contract from Swiss International Air Lines, covering load control services for the airline‘s entire continental operation in Europe from its CLC centre in Casablanca (excluding outbound flights from Zurich and Geneva).