Swissport International is adding more capacity at top air cargo hubs in Europe with the full acquisition of Belgium Airport Services (BAS) and an additional facility at Schiphol Airport.

With the acquisition, the Swiss cargo handler has increased its total warehouse and handling capacity by more than 40 percent with a combined space of 76,000 square metres in Belgium, including the 38,000-sqm air cargo facility at Brussels Airport. BAS provides handling services for the likes of El Al, Turkish Airlines and Hongyuan Group.

“Belgium Airport Services is a high performing company, operating a sizable airside cargo facility adjacent to our existing facility in Liège, plus two additional second line warehouses,” said Dimitri Bettoni, managing director at Swissport Belgium.

The company said its cargo volumes have been soaring hence the need for more warehousing space. In 2021, it recorded 5.1 million metric tonnes, across 119 facilities with 14 certified pharma centres, up 10 percent over its 2019 volume.

Swissport said it will continue to invest in developing its cargo business with plans to add an additional air cargo center at Schiphol Airport.