Swissport employees in Johannesburg, South Africa, and Zurich, Switzerland, handled a delicate shipment recently: Parts of the Sling TSi aircraft, which were produced in South Africa and adapted for electrification. In the coming months, 12 students from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH) will build an electric aircraft based on this Sling TSi. Equipped with a modular battery system, the four-passenger electric Sling will have a range of 250 km, one of the longest battery-powered ranges in the industry. With this project, ETH is conducting basic research into electric propulsion for aviation.
“We are thrilled to support this ETH project,” says Marco Boetschi, vice president ramp services of Swissport at Zurich Airport, Switzerland. “Getting the aircraft parts out of the cargo hold was a bit of a challenge because of their size and bulky shape, but our team eventually succeeded. We wish the electric Sling many happy landings.”
Swissport promotes environmental responsibility in its service delivery and among its employees. In September 2019, the company committed to increase the share of electrically powered vehicles in its fleet to at least 50% by 2025 with the aim of reducing its carbon footprint and to improve the working environment of its employees.
