Swissport to acquire remaining 50% stake in Heathrow Cargo Handling JV from Air France to boost its presence in the UK. Credit: Swissport International AG.

Airport ground service provider Swissport International has signed an agreement to acquire the remaining 50% stake in Heathrow Cargo Handling (HCH) from its joint venture (JV) partner Air France.

Completion of the deal will see Swiss aviation services own 100% of the ground handling JV based at Heathrow Airport in the UK.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Premium Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Related Company Profiles

View all

HCH has a workforce of nearly 120 employees and has been offering cargo handling services at Heathrow Airport since 1995.

HCH JV handled more than 150,000 tonnes of air cargo in 2018, up 7% on the previous year.

“We are very satisfied that we can strategically round off our global cargo business with this selective acquisition.”

Commenting on the deal, Swissport Europe, Middle East and Africa executive vice president Luzius Wirth said: “We are very satisfied that we can strategically round off our global cargo business with this selective acquisition.

“On the basis of over 20 years of successful business, jointly with Air France, Swissport now has the right setup to further develop and enhance its service offering at London‘s Heathrow Airport.”

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

Swissport noted that the acquisition of HCH JV will allow the company to further strengthen its air cargo operation and service capabilities at Heathrow airport, where it operates two warehouses with a total area of about 165,000ft².

The deal is subject to Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) approval and is scheduled to be completed in the first half of 2019.

On behalf of more than 850 client-companies, Swissport offers airport ground services for about 282 million passengers per year and handles nearly 4.8 million tonnes of air cargo at 122 warehouses across the globe.