As the year gets underway, we catch up with a colleague who has recently stepped into a new role at Swissport. Based at Zürich Airport, Sergio joined Swissport in 2024 but recently took on the role of process manager for push-back & de-icing.

With the northern hemisphere in the depths of winter, this month’s Meet the Faces looks at those vital cold-start operations that keep aircraft safe as they soar beyond the Swiss Alps.

Winter Teamwork in Action

As a process manager for push-back & de-icing, Sergio’s role sits between process management, operations, training, and safety.

He tells us that a typical day can range from performing push-back or de-icing operations to coordinating live de-icing activities, supporting teams during winter conditions, reviewing incidents or audits, updating procedures, and working on training and process improvements. “No two days are the same, which is exactly what makes the role interesting!”.

In this challenging seasonal environment, Sergio believes teamwork and clear communication are essential, along with Swissport’s safety-first mindset that defines our operations worldwide. This means that no operational procedure overrides safety standards. Sergio supports this by “being visible in operations, encouraging open reporting, discussing incidents transparently, and making sure procedures are practical and understood”.

Preparation for safe, efficient winter operations begin with a structured review of the previous season, focusing on training and uncovering the lessons learned on the ramp. Alongside equipment checks and fluid quality control assurance, Sergio believes that “aligning expectations and reinforcing procedures ensures consistent reactions once winter conditions begin”.

De-icing Challenges and Lessons to Learn

With more than 15 years of experience in ground operations, Sergio continues to learn and improve, shifting his focus from ‘doing the job’ to optimizing operations through auditing, training, and fine-tuning procedures.

While he enjoys the dynamism and performance focus of Swissport ground operations, he tells us that the biggest challenge is “balancing safety, operational pressure, and expectations from multiple stakeholders”.

These challenges are amplified during winter operations, when weather conditions can change very quickly. Surfaces become slippery, visibility can be reduced, and de-/anti-icing becomes a critical safety process.

For Sergio, developing and re-launching de-icing training for the station’s 170 colleagues has been the key to maintaining Swissport’s standards for safety and operational excellence.

“Through practical, instructor-led group sessions, the de-icing training connects theory with real-life scenarios and encourages people to speak up, ask questions, and share their experiences. This helps align the training more closely with global standards and real operational challenges on the ramp”, he tells us.

Away from the Ramp

Originally from Portugal, Sergio moved to Switzerland in 2004 and maintains a fascination with languages. Despite the pressures of winter operations, Sergio considers himself a calm, structured, and detail-oriented person – traits that serve him well on the ramp and away from it in his personal life.

Outside of work, he enjoys riding his motorbike in the Alps, and volunteers as a firefighter and first responder. Sergio believes that his role serving his community “reinforces my focus on teamwork, safety, staying calm in critical situations”.

Our Meet The Faces Series

Stay tuned for more stories in our Meet the Faces Behind Swissport series, where we showcase the incredible people behind our business. Want to see what life at Swissport is like? Visit Our People to learn more.