Swissport staff in South Africa and Switzerland handled Sling TSi airplane parts for a research project of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH). With this project, ETH is conducting basic research into electric propulsion for aviation.

Swissport employees in Johannesburg, South Africa, and Zurich, Switzerland, handled a delicate shipment yesterday: Parts of the Sling TSi aircraft, which were produced in South Africa and adapted for electrification. In the coming months, 12 students from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH) will build an electric aircraft based on this Sling TSi. Equipped with a modular battery system, the four-passenger electric Sling will have a range of 250 km, one of the longest battery-powered ranges in the industry. With this project, ETH is conducting basic research into electric propulsion for aviation. 

“We are thrilled to support this ETH project,” says Marco Boetschi, Vice President Ramp Services of Swissport at Zurich Airport, Switzerland. “Getting the aircraft parts out of the cargo hold was a bit of a challenge because of their size and bulky shape, but our team eventually succeeded. We wish the electric Sling many happy landings.” 

Swissport promotes environmental responsibility in its service delivery and among its employees. In September 2019, the company committed to increase the share of electrically powered vehicles in its fleet to at least 50% by 2025 with the aim of reducing its carbon footprint and to improve the working environment of its employees. 

In 2019, Swissport International AG provided best-in-class airport ground services for some 265 million airline passengers and handled roughly 4.6 million tons of air freight in 115 cargo warehouses worldwide. Several of its warehouses have been certified for pharmaceutical logistics by IATA’s CEIV Pharma and by the British MHRA. The world's leader in airport ground services and air cargo handling, with currently 45,600 employees, achieved consolidated operating revenue of 3.13 billion euros in 2019. At the end of September 2020, Swissport was active at 298 airports in 47 countries on six continents.