Swissport said it will invest some €11 million (US$11.8 million) in environmentally friendly vehicles in Rome after concluding over 170,000 flights and more than 21 million passengers served at Rome Fiumicino Airport in Italy.

It said that a significant share of the new vehicles will be electric-powered, contributing towards the Swiss market leader's ambition to increase the share of electric vehicles in its fleet to at least 55% by 2032.

"Aligned with the company's global commitment to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, Swissport Italy pursues an ambitious plan to further modernize and electrify its vast fleet of ground support vehicles," Swissport said.

An investment of 11 million euros has been earmarked for Swissport Italy to acquire new vehicles, a significant portion of which will be electric-powered.

These include tractors for towing and push-back of long-haul aircraft, passenger buses, baggage belts, cargo loaders, and transporters.

Additionally, the fleet of baggage tractors has been revamped, with 50 new electric tractors operational at Fiumicino and another 70 scheduled for delivery before summer.

"Our investment in fleet modernization and infrastructure upgrades aligns with our commitment to deliver market-leading handling services to our 30+ airline customers at Fiumicino," said Marina Bottelli, managing director of Swissport in Italy.

"As the global sector leader, we also continuously invest in a more environmentally friendly operation. Swissport will further increase the share of electrically powered vehicles in its fleet to at least 55% by 2032. Longer term, we are committed to reaching net-zero carbon emissions by latest 2050," he added.