Swissport UK Announces New Contracts

Zurich/London, Nov. 12, 2010 – Swissport UK has concluded new service agreements with several airlines. In addition to these commercial successes, the unit has also made sizeable progress in enhancing its structures and processes. And, in a move that will ensure strong management continuity, acting CEO Robin Dickie has agreed to remain in the function and extended his ad-interim contract.

Swissport UK has a positive outlook for the months and year ahead. Having extensively restructured various areas of its operations, the Swissport Group’s UK organisation has earned the confidence and trust of several new customers through a range of specific recent actions and its broad service quality. The progress here has been particularly reflected in the past quarter’s developments and results.

Swissport UK has added airline customers such as Eastern Airways, Pakistan International Airlines, Air Baltic and Armavia to its portfolio. The unit has also further strengthened its partnerships with Monarch Airlines (in a new five-year two-station agreement) and Emirates (in a three-year extension for Newcastle Airport). All in all, the new accords cover about 15,000 flights a year. Swissport UK is also in promising discussions with several further prospective clients.

Swissport UK offers encouraging news on the management front, too, where acting CEO Robin Dickie’s decision to remain at the helm for a longer period of time provides welcome continuity and stability. Pauline McMichael will continue to support the CEO as Commercial Director, maintaining key business contacts with the unit’s customers.

Swissport UK currently employs 2020 personnel at five airports, and handles more than 15 million passengers and 120,000 flights a year for 40 customer airlines. The unit achieved total operating revenue of more than EUR 80 million last year.

“We are delighted at these positive developments,” says Juan-José Andrés-Alvez, Swissport International’s Executive Vice President EMEAA, which includes the group’s European operations. “Our various actions and initiatives on the customer front have positively confirmed confidence in Swissport UK and its services. We will now endeavour to make further improvements and innovations, to ensure that we not only meet but exceed our customers’ expectations.”