Swissport scales up in Saudi Arabia with groundbreaking 13-airport launch

Marking one of its largest coordinated go-lives in recent years, Swissport has expanded operations to 13 airports across Saudi Arabia, reinforcing its strategic growth in the Middle East and strengthening its alignment with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.

Swissport, the world’s leading provider of airport ground services and air cargo handling, has launched coordinated ground handling operations across the Kingdom on June 1, welcoming inaugural flights from Air Arabia with celebration events at each location. The new stations—Hail, Al Jouf, Tabuk, Yanbu, Taif, Abha, and Jizan—join Swissport’s existing network of six airports: Jeddah, Riyadh, Madinah, Dammam, Al-Qassim, and Al-Ula. This milestone also marks the beginning of a new collaboration with Air Arabia, one of the region’s leading low-cost carriers. The execution of such a marvellous expansion plan in such a short span of time is attributed to the successful conclusion and signing of the ground handling agreement with Air Arabia that operates to all these airports.

“This launch marks a critical step in Swissport Saudi Arabia’s growth strategy, aligning with Saudi Arabia’s ambitious Vision 2030. Expanding our ground operations to 13 airports reflects both our long-term commitment to the Kingdom and our readiness to deliver operational excellence at scale,” says Dirk Goovaerts, CEO of Continental Europe, Middle East, Africa & India, and Global Cargo Chair at Swissport. “Our investments in innovation, sustainability, and talent are clear signals of our continued focus on safety, reliability, and world-class service. Together with our trusted partners, we are proud to be shaping the future of aviation in the region.”

After having received the license from the authorities on 24 April 2025 for the opening of these airports, it was a great deal of challenge to be ready for the delivery of quality services to the client on 01 June 2025. It included successfully completing the training process of 400+ staff in addition to transporting the fleet of heavy GSE to remotely scattered apart airports. In less than merely a forty (40) days of time span, the target was effectively achieved. The entire team at Swissport KSA worked tirelessly and meticulously under the professional and devoted leadership of its CEO Mr. Hamad Alhemede together with the effective support of Swissport global and ensured all the seven newly added locations were fully equipped and operationally ready ahead of schedule. This included setting up infrastructure, recruitment and training of local staff, and the deployment of Swissport’s proven global processes and standards.

Swissport’s on-time performance in the Kingdom consistently exceeds 99%—the highest in the country and among the best across its global network. This outstanding performance reflects Swissport’s operational discipline and its commitment to delivering punctual, high-quality service for airline partners. The dedication, hard work and the passion are the driving force behind the management of SP KSA and its team in achieving such an exciting result in OTP.

“This is a proud moment for our teams across the Kingdom. Our expansion to 13 airports was made possible thanks to the dedication of our local talent and the strength of our Swissport training programs,” says Hamad Alhemede, CEO of Swissport Saudi Arabia. “Our operations are locally led and supported by global experts and international best practices. Together, we are building a future-ready operation that reflects the highest standards of safety, efficiency, and service.”

Swissport’s continued expansion is further supported by its strategic partnership with Asyad Holding Group and its close collaboration with key stakeholders, including GACA, Matarat, and the Air Connectivity Program. With operations now live across 13 airports, Swissport is exploring the introduction of additional services—such as cargo handling, aircraft cleaning, and lounge operations—to offer a comprehensive ground service solution for airline partners. As demand in Saudi Arabia’s aviation market accelerates, Swissport is well positioned to support this growth with a scalable, safe, and reliable operation.

In 2024, Swissport International AG provided best-in-class airport ground services for some 247 million airline passengers (2023: 232 million) and handled roughly 5 million tons of air freight (2023: 4.7 million) at 117 air cargo centers worldwide. Several of its warehouses have been certified for pharmaceutical logistics by IATA’s CEIV Pharma and by the British MHRA. At the end of December 2024, the world’s leader in airport ground services and air cargo handling, with currently around 62,000 employees, was active at 276 airports in 45 countries on six continents.