Swissport accelerates electrification of ground services at airports
Swissport wants to increasingly electrify ground services at airports. The Swiss company’s initiative is primarily aimed at vehicles for baggage transport, conveyor belts for loading baggage onto aircraft, mobile stairs for passenger boarding, light and medium-sized forklift trucks and service vehicles for waste disposal and fresh water supply.
From 2027 onwards, Swissport intends to procure only electric ground handling vehicles without exception, subject to “availability of the required equipment and the development of sufficient charging infrastructure at airports.”
“Swissport reaffirms its goal to continuously increase the proportion of electric, zero-emission ground support equipment,” says Warwick Brady, President & CEO of Swissport International. “Over the next ten years, we will invest over a billion euros into a new electric fleet. Our strong commitment to sustainability and clean energy also supports airlines’ ESG goals and reduces their supply chain emissions.”
Swissport describes itself as the world’s largest operator of airport ground support equipment, with a fleet of around 14,300 motorised units. According to the company, electrifying the fleet offers numerous benefits for airlines, airports, and employees, “including more reliable and comfortable equipment, noise reduction, health and safety features such as anti-collision systems, increased asset availability, and enhanced automation potential.”
However, Brady emphasises that airports need to prioritise installing charging infrastructure and ensure that their power grids can cope with the increased demand. The demand is directed not only at individual airports but also at the regulatory authorities and the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Despite the current restrictions on the charging infrastructure, Swissport says it is making great progress in fleet electrification, particularly at the major European hubs. At Zurich Airport (ZRH), Swissport currently operates 44 per cent cent electric ground handling equipment and aims to reach 55 per cent by the end of next year. At Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS), Swissport has invested 2.5 million euros in electric vehicles and plans to convert its entire motorised ground handling fleet to electric drive soon. For example, all vehicles used on the apron will be electric by December 2024.
Swissport already has five electric buses in use for ground operations at Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO) and has ordered seven more buses. At Frankfurt Airport, for which Swissport recently received a licence to provide ground transport services from February 2025, the company plans to invest around 25 million euros in electric vehicles.
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