Co-creating aviation's future
How Swissport collaborates across airlines, airports, and technology partners to develop, test, and scale innovation in real aviation environments
Rather than developing solutions in isolation, Swissport co-creates innovation with partners from the outset—ensuring every solution is grounded in real operational needs, validated in live environments, and designed for scalable deployment across global aviation networks.
Co-creating innovation
Innovation begins with structured collaboration between Swissport, airlines, and airport stakeholders to define operational challenges and performance priorities.
Through discovery workshops, joint design sessions, and rapid prototyping, partners actively shape solution development from problem definition through to validation.
This ensures innovations are aligned with operational realities, practical, interoperable with existing systems, and scalable across airport environments.
Building airline innovation
Swissport works closely with airline partners to improve operational performance across turnaround, passenger, and cargo operations. Collaboration focuses on efficiency, revenue protection, and enhanced operational visibility through shared data, integrated systems, and joint process optimisation.
This includes improving turnaround accuracy, passenger flow and document validation, cargo handling efficiency, and operational forecasting.
These initiatives are co-developed with airline teams to deliver measurable improvements in reliability, speed, and resource utilisation across complex aviation environments.
Integrated airport collaboration
Swissport collaborates with airport authorities to improve overall ecosystem performance through enhanced coordination, infrastructure innovation, and data-driven operations.
This includes improving multi-provider turnaround visibility, airside safety monitoring, operational flow coordination, and sustainability initiatives.
Aurrigo autonomous ground handling trials at Zurich Airport demonstrate how Swissport and airport partners validate next-generation autonomous solutions in live operational environments to improve safety, coordination, and efficiency across airside operations.
Technology-enabled innovation
Swissport Labs partners with leading technology providers to combine aviation expertise with advanced capabilities in AI, automation, IoT, and digital platforms. Collaboration focuses on co-development and real-world validation to ensure aviation-ready performance before deployment.
Key areas include AI-driven operational intelligence, computer vision for turnaround visibility, and automated cargo and ground operations. This includes integration with CHAMP Cargosystems’ Cargospot Neo to enhance digital cargo workflows, and Airbus OpenCargoLab, where Swissport contributes operational expertise to advance end-to-end cargo digitisation and interoperability across the aviation ecosystem.
Shaping industry standards
wissport contributes to aviation industry development through participation in IATA, ACI, and cargo standard bodies, supporting digital transformation and interoperability frameworks.
We also engage in knowledge-sharing with academic and industry partners, including innovation forums and research collaborations, helping shape the future standards of aviation operations and technology adoption.