Swissport announced that it is adding Mombasa, Kenya, to its growing African network.

With the new presence at Mombasa's Moi International Airport (MBA), Swissport now offers aviation ground services at 31 airports across Africa.

Swissport started operations at the airport of the coastal city of Mombasa, Kenya, at the end of December 2022.

The first aircraft served by the local Swissport team was a Flightlink Aviation flight from Zanzibar Island.

The services offered in Mombasa include passenger services and ramp handling, with the potential to expand to freighter handling.

Swissport noted that it also operates a large air cargo centre at Nairobi International (NBO).

"We are thrilled to see Swissport expand from Nairobi to Mombasa's Moi International Airport," said Racheal Ndegwa, managing director of Swissport International in Kenya, adding that "Mombasa was a strategic and natural next step."

Mombasa is an important point of entry and departure port to and from Kenya, and it plays a vital role in the country's airport network, especially for leisure travel.

Moi International Airport in Mombasa is the second largest airport in Kenya and acts as an important gateway to many domestic and regional destinations.

"Africa is a very important region for Swissport. We are intensifying our efforts to extend the network for our airline customers, both in countries where we already have a presence and at new airports," said Dirk Goovaerts, managing director for continental Europe, Middle East & Africa, and Global Cargo chair.

In Kenya, Swissport has been supporting airlines in Nairobi since 1997, where it also operates a cargo centre.

Last year, Swissport Kenya celebrated its 25-year anniversary. The company has been operating at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport since 1997 and provides passenger services, ramp handling and cargo handling, including cold-chain and specialist handling.

Its state-of-the-art warehouse, which incorporates a Swissport Pharma Center, is vital for the recently launched "freshly cut flowers corridor," a managed cool-chain solution to ensure the delivery of flowers from Kenyan farms to end customers across the world in a temperature-controlled environment along the entire supply chain.

Swissport Kenya also offers Centralized Load Control and Cargo Services for a growing number of international airlines. Nairobi is home to one of only two major Load Control Centers Swissport proudly operates.