Swissport International, the world's leading airport ground services group, is to conclude a five-year partnership agreement with reputed airfreight operator Swiss WorldCargo. The new accord extends to 25 Swiss WorldCargo destinations and is worth some CHF 20 million a year.

The new agreement, which covers the handling of well over 200,000 tons of cargo a year, offers further clear proof of the direction in which collaborations between airlines and their ground handlers are currently developing. Under this trend, local agreements are being increasingly replaced by closer and more extensive partnerships and longer-term contractual models. In this respect, the new global frame agreement between Swissport and Swiss WorldCargo sets further benchmarks for the rapidly-evolving aviation sector. The initial accord is expected to be extended to further Swiss WorldCargo destinations at a later stage.

"Our new global frame agreement with Swissport International is a landmark development for us in many respects," says Oliver Evans, EVP Chief Cargo Officer of Swiss International Air Lines. "With the standardised products and quality levels and the simplified workflows and interfaces it will provide, the new partnership will help us offer our customers the best possible cargo service product at highly competitive rates."

Swissport is equally delighted to have secured this major frame agreement. "Accords like this provide long-term stability and continuity and stronger customer relations," explains Dr Ludwig Bertsch, Executive Vice President and head of Swissport's global cargo business. "And those, in turn, can deliver tangible synergies for both the partners involved."