Swissport starts operations at Mombasa’s Moi International Airport

Swissport added Mombasa, Kenya, to its growing African network with its new presence at Mombasa’s Moi International Airport (MBA).

Swissport is now offering aviation ground services at 31 airports across Africa. In Kenya, Swissport has been supporting airlines in Nairobi since 1997 where it also operates a cargo centre.

Swissport started operations at the airport of the coastal city of Mombasa, Kenya, at the end of December 2022. The first aircraft served by the local Swissport team was a Flightlink Aviation flight from Zanzibar Island.

The services offered in Mombasa include passenger services and ramp handling, with the potential to expand to freighter handling. Swissport operates a large air cargo centre at Nairobi International (NBO).

“We are thrilled to see Swissport expand from Nairobi to Mombasa’s Moi International Airport,” says Racheal Ndegwa, managing director of Swissport International in Kenya. “Our teams are well trained and can build on extensive experience from the Nairobi operation. Mombasa was a strategic and natural next step.”

Mombasa is an essential point of entry and departure port to and from Kenya. It plays a vital role in the country’s airport network, especially for leisure travel. Moi International Airport in Mombasa is the second largest airport in Kenya and acts as an essential gateway to many domestic and regional destinations.

“Africa is a very important region for Swissport. We are intensifying our efforts to extend the network for our airline customers, both in countries where we already have a presence and at new airports,” adds Dirk Goovaerts, managing director for continental Europe, Middle East & Africa, and Global Cargo Chair. “Combining our global expertise with the knowledge and experience of our local teams, we are able to offer best-in-class and reliable aviation ground services for our airline customers in our growing network of airports around the world.”

Last year, Swissport Kenya celebrated its 25-year anniversary. The company has been operating at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport since 1997 and provides passenger services, ramp handling and cargo handling, including cold-chain and specialist handling. Its state-of-the-art warehouse, which incorporates a Swissport Pharma Center, is vital for the recently launched “freshly cut flowers corridor,” a managed cool-chain solution to ensure the delivery of flowers from Kenyan farms to end customers across the world in a temperature-controlled environment along the entire supply chain. In November 2022, Swissport Kenya was named Best in Cargo Warehousing and Best in Ground Handling at the 2022 Aviation Business Excellence Awards (ABEA) in Nairobi.

Swissport Kenya also offers Centralized Load Control and Cargo Services for many international airlines. Nairobi is home to one of only two major Load Control Centers Swissport proudly operates.