Finnair operates around 2,300 scheduled passenger flights a year between Brussels and its hub airport Helsinki, carrying around 1,100 tonnes of cargo annually. The new partnership is set to begin on 1st August, following a handover from Finnair's existing cargo handler at Brussels.
John Batten, Executive Vice President of Global Cargo at Swissport Group, said: 'It is always an honour to be trusted with the responsibility of handling a first-rate airline like Finnair, which places a strong emphasis on quality and efficiency, and winning this contract with Finnair is a tribute to the quality of our services at Brussels, and the focus we maintain to fulfil the needs of our customers worldwide. We look forward to a long and successful partnership, and will continue to strive to exceed the high standards that Swissport and our customers expect.'
Batten said that Swissport Cargo has had a strong start to the year, including a number of important contract wins, and the continuing strong recovery of the airline sector, and air cargo in particular, means that the group is optimistic about the prospects for 2011.
Jussi Mattila, Director of Security and Quality at Finnair Cargo, said: 'We work together already on some of our stations. The co-operation has been proven to work well. The overall package offered by Swissport for our cargo handling needs at Brussels was an outstanding one, combining good value with industry-leading service levels, and we look forward to working together to deliver a high quality cargo service to our customers.'
