By Bruno Stefani, CEO Switzerland, Italy and France

Aviation services have never been more complex or more central to airline performance. Over the past 30 years in this industry, I have seen a clear shift. Ground handling is no longer an operational support function. It is a core determinant of airline reliability, resilience, and network performance.

Today, airlines are not only asking who can turn an aircraft. They are asking who can do it safely, sustainably, efficiently, and consistently under pressure. From Switzerland, Italy, and France, this shift is not theoretical, it is our reality, shaped by five priorities that define how we operate.

Safety: discipline under operational pressure

Most operations perform well in stable conditions. The real test comes when conditions are not stable. At Zurich Airport, this principle shapes how teams are prepared for live operations. Every new ramp colleague completes two days of hands-on, scenario-based training before entering the operational environment, building judgment and awareness before pressure begins.

Winter operations make this discipline visible. In the 2024/25 season, our teams in Zurich completed more than 3,200 de-icing operations, including peaks of up to 200 aircraft per day under highly time-sensitive and weather-critical conditions. Precision and coordination are non-negotiable in these moments.

Innovation is also tested in real conditions, not in isolation. Our autonomous ground handling trials in Zurich are designed to strengthen safety and improve operational efficiency in live environments.

Operational excellence: consistency is the real benchmark

Scale is not the differentiator. Consistency is. In 2025, Swissport supported 24.4 million passengers and 182,570  flights in Switzerland alone, serving more than 110 airlines. In 2025, we renewed our Zurich ground handling license through 2032, a reflection of sustained operational trust. But the real measure is what happens when conditions change.

During severe winter weather in January 2026, operations continued without compromising safety or schedule integrity. These are the moments that define operational strength far more than average performance metrics.

In Italy, our cargo expansion in Milan Malpensa follows the same logic: disciplined, phased growth built on control and long-term reliability.

Peak performance is not the benchmark anymore. Repeatable performance over time is.

Customer-centricity: trust is built in execution

Trust in aviation is rarely created in contracts. It is created in how disruptions are handled, how communication flows, and how predictable outcomes remain under pressure. This is reflected in our long-term airline relationships in Zurich, where the renewal of our license was not only a commercial outcome but a recognition of sustained operational reliability across different airline models.

Customer-centricity also extends to passenger experience. The Catullo Lounge in Verona reflects how operational environments are evolving toward experience-led design.

Behind the scenes, digital tools such as Matchbox reduce friction in processes that directly impact airline operations. With millions of passengers processed and measurable time savings per transaction, the focus remains simple: reduce variability where it matters most.

Sustainability: from ambition to execution

In Geneva, Swissport recently completed Switzerland’s first fully electric aircraft turnaround. The operation delivered full-service performance with zero impact on turnaround time, demonstrating that sustainability and efficiency are not competing objectives.

This marks a broader shift. Sustainability is no longer external to operations. It is becoming part of how operations are designed. Across Switzerland, electrification is progressing through infrastructure-led investment, ensuring sustainability is operationally scalable rather than symbolic. Swissport’s ambition to electrify 55% of our global motorised GSE fleet by 2032 reflects this transition at scale. We are proud to have already reached 55% electrification in our region.

Sustainability also includes workforce stability. Independent equal pay assessments across Switzerland confirmed no systemic compensation bias, reinforcing organisational consistency as an operational strength. In addition, collective labour agreements are in place across the entire region, reflecting our long-term collaboration with social partners and our commitment to stable and responsible working conditions.

Innovation: only value if it works in reality

For years, aviation operations have remained largely stable and standardized, with only selective technological changes being introduced into airport environments. The solutions that truly endure are those that solve real operational challenges and demonstrate clear value in day-to-day operations.

Our autonomous ground handling trials in Zurich are focused on exactly that: improving safety, reducing variability, and increasing efficiency in live operations.

Similarly, Matchbox and AI-enabled fleet management systems are not digital showcases. They are operational tools designed to reduce risk, improve compliance, and increase predictability at scale.

The shift airlines can no longer ignore

Across Switzerland, Italy, and France, one reality is becoming clear: operational reliability is increasingly determined before an aircraft leaves the gate. Ground handling is no longer a support function. It is a structural driver of airline performance.

Airlines that scale successfully in the coming years will not only optimise flight operations. They will ensure their ground operations are equally disciplined, resilient, and integrated. This is one of the most important shifts in European aviation today. Because ultimately, aviation performance is not defined at altitude. It is defined in the discipline of everything that happens before take-off.