Checkport commissioned to provide airside security services at the new Durban Airport

Zurich, 30 April 2010 – Checkport, a subsidiary of Swissport International, the world’s leading supplier of ground handling services to the aviation sector, has won the tender process to provide airside security services at King Shaka International Airport in Durban, South Africa. The new operations are scheduled to commence on 1 May.

King Shaka International Airport in Durban, South Africa has commissioned Checkport to provide its airside security services. Checkport has been selected for these tasks by the airport operator following an international tender process.

The new commission is one of the most important in Checkport’s history in business volume terms. From 1 May onwards, the Swissport subsidiary will be responsible for passenger and staff access checks and controls, screening points and perimeter checks at the new airport. Checkport commenced some of these duties already on 15 April.
 
The new King Shaka International Airport is located 35 kilometres north of Durban, and will be officially opened on 1 May, a month before the start of the soccer World Cup. The new facility will replace the previous Durban Airport (DUR), and is expected to handle a volume capacity of 7.5 millions passengers a year (with 72 Check-in counters) travelling on 9 airlines.

“I would like to congratulate our South Africa organisation on this major success,” says Bernhard Schäfli, Swissport’s General Manager Aviation Security for Checkport Africa and Asia. “Sean Kinsey and his Checkport South Africa team did an excellent job in the tender process at very short notice. And we are immensely proud to have secured this new business in the face of reputed international competition.”

Swissport International Ltd., which is owned by Spanish-based Ferrovial, one of the world’s leading infrastructure and service corporations, provides ground services for over 70 million passengers and 2.8 million tonnes of cargo a year on behalf of some 650 client companies. With its workforce of around 32 000 personnel, Swissport is active at 176 airports in 38 countries on five continents, and generated consolidated operating revenue of CHF 1.7 billion (EUR 1.1 billion or USD 1.7 billion) last year.
www.swissport.com / www.ferrovial.com