Swissport prides itself on winning as a team, celebrating our 62,000 colleagues and their achievements. This edition of Meet the Faces Behind Swissport takes us to Washington, D.C., where we meet the incredible Son Vang.  

An Account Manager with Swissport at Dulles International Airport (IAD) for more than 10 years, Son is a pillar of his station’s community. Yet there is a tragic twist to Son’s tale. In 2019, he was diagnosed with congestive heart failure at the age of 41.  

After an extremely challenging few years, Son was able to return to full-time work in December 2024. He was fitted with a device that keeps his heart working while he awaits a transplant, and he has since become an ambassador for the treatment he received to support others through the treatment process. 

Son’s Swissport Career 

Serving America’s capital city and surrounding areas, Washington D.C.’s airports play a pivotal role within the U.S. aviation sector. As a valued team member for over 10 years, Son has helped Swissport serve many of our key customers at these landmark terminals.  

Son joined Swissport from Frontier Airlines, serving at both Reagan National and Dulles International throughout his tenure. Speaking to us, he describes some of his responsibilities in his day-to-day role with the business. 

“My main responsibility is to achieve a positive working relationship with our Airline Customers. On a typical day to day process, I monitor the daily operations, monitor the passenger-facing Swissport staff, pass along standard procedures from the airlines to our colleagues, and attend local and area meetings with the airlines and Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA). I'm always available and visible to the entire team.” 

Overcoming Heart Failure 

During 2018 and 2019, Son’s life changed profoundly. After repeated flu-like episodes, he realised something was seriously wrong. Juggling a two-year-old and a newborn was hard enough, but his health began to suffer. In 2019, he was diagnosed with congestive heart failure.  

Although he initially responded well to medication, his condition had worsened by 2023. He spent two months in hospital before his heart was strong enough for a Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD), an artificial pump that supports blood flow, and he was placed on the transplant list. 

Becoming a Heart Health Advocate 

While in hospital, Son feared the worst. As his condition initially failed to improve, it became clear that a transplant could not be delivered. It’s a common story across the U.S.; according to the Health Resources & Services Administration, more than 103,000 people are on the national transplant waiting list. 

Following his recovery, Son became determined to help others in this position. He became involved in ambassador program for people with LVAD devices.  

Speaking about the impact this has had, Son said “It’s therapeutic for myself and helpful for others to talk to people in a similar position to mine, and learn from those who are recovering from CHF. When you’re in the hospital, you can’t have one idea that you’re locked into, because things are always going to come up.” 

“CHF is not a death sentence, and I wish I’d had that guidance from an ambassador during my experience. I always feel that God gave me this good situation and I want to share it with as many people as possible.” 

Returning to Work 

Despite a harrowing few years, Son remained in touch with his Swissport colleagues throughout his treatment process. Two of his station colleagues from IAD visited him in hospital while he recovered. He is extremely grateful for the support his colleagues and their response. 

“It's been so incredibly supportive from the entire station. From all the letters and text messages when I was in the hospital. Everyone was so supportive and very worried. I really felt that Swissport is a big family.” 

“We understand work is work, but the people you work with have been in your life for so long. You take that extra step, you do it not because you get paid but because you don’t want to let your family down. If you’re new, you may not have that feeling, but if you take the time and put in the work it grows.” 

Celebrating Health and a Happy Future 

Swissport puts the health, safety and wellbeing of its staff above all else. Son’s remarkable journey highlights the value of supportive colleagues who band together when a team member becomes critically ill. For Son, the most important thing is enjoying every day with his wife and cherishing every moment with his kids. This post celebrates his remarkable recovery and the bond between colleagues that form when we all win as a team. 

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.