Swissport recorded a decline in air cargo volumes last year, dragged by ongoing economic uncertainties, Russia-Ukraine war and supply chain challenges that intensified in 2022.

The ground handler said in the air cargo segment, it handled 4.8 million metric tons in 2022 after recording 5.1 million tons in 2021.

"In the cargo business, global supply chain issues, the war in the Ukraine and a tightening of monetary policy by leading central banks contributed to a slowdown," Swissport said.

Nonetheless, it noted that its performance in 2022 remains "solid" on the back of a challenging operational environment.

"Thanks to early staffing efforts in the spring, Swissport was well prepared to support airlines as a reliable partner when they rapidly ramped up their flight schedules ahead of the spring and summer holidays," said Warwick Brady, president & CEO of Swissport International AG.

"Considering the unique challenges of 2022, the first post-Covid year, we delivered a very solid result," he added.

Swissport said in 2022, it accelerated its revenue growth on the back of a strong recovery of global aviation — although it did not release the said growth figure.

2023 outlook cited

"For 2023, we remain fully dedicated to enable our airline customers' success, supporting their growth story on the ground at more and more airports on six continents," the Swissport chief executive said.

"We continue to invest in product and service innovation and in operational excellence, not least by committing to further increasing our share of electrically powered vehicles to at least 42% by 2032 to support the decarbonization of global aviation," Brady added.