Swissport buys out CSC

CARGO HANDLING major Swissport will acquire all the activities of Cargo Service Center at 61 stations in 15 countries, including South Africa, from German-based D. Logistics.
How the acquisition will affect the local operations and staff is yet to be revealed, but for the moment the status quo will remain, Swissport marketing manager Karen Mitchell told FTW in Johannesburg last week.
The acquisition is part of Swissport's expansion and diversification strategy aimed at establishing the Swiss-based group as a 'one-stop shop' in the airport ground handling field, Mitchell said.
"The acquisition of CSC substantially strengthens the appeal of Swissport's station network and its product offering, making it the biggest provider of a full range of airport ground services on the international stage."
The Dutch-based CSC Group's 2 000 employees handle some 1,2 million tonnes of airfreight a year for over 100 customers.
Following the acquisition, Swissport will be active at 164 airports, handling more than 2,5 million aircraft, over 55 million passengers and some two million tonnes of cargo a year for more than 600 airline customers.
It employs 18 000 staff and is active in 32 countries.