Major ground-handler in exclusive talks to acquire competitor

Ground-handling company Swissport has entered into exclusive talks to acquire its competitor, Servisair. The Derichebourg Group announced yesterday it had granted an exclusivity period to Swissport regarding the disposal of 100% of Servisair on the basis of an “irrevocable and binding offer” received on Monday. Both Swissport and Derichebourg will provide more information in due course, subject to customary legal and regulatory approvals, notes a joint statement from the two parties. Servisair´s global business currently provides ground services for around 645 000 tonnes of cargo a year for 500 companies, while Swissport handles 3.5 million tonnes of cargo a year on behalf of some 650 client-companies in the aviation sector.