UK company takes over Swissport

Leonard Neill SWISSPORT INTERNATIONAL, the airport ground handling agents, have been taken over by the UK investment company Candover. There will be no changes to the operating name or the management structure, either at the Zurich headquarters or in the South African operation. All contractual agreements with airline customers and other partners will remain in force, says Fernand Stauffer, president and chief executive, Swissport South Africa. The Swissair Group was funded once again to fly its passenger services, but the decision to sell off its cargo handling operation, which serves 550 airlines at 130 airports in 23 countries, resulted in the acquisition by Candover.