Italy is known for fast cars – so fast cargo isn’t such a surprise, really. That said, to scale up from just 9 tons a day to 100, within a space of just 5 months – that is a pretty solid achievement. One that Swissport managed in its newly refurbished Milan Malpensa (MXP) cargo operation. The 4,000 m² second-line warehouse is located within the WTC Malpensa complex, and has been handling imports, pre-customs clearance, and express distribution until now. This will now be expanded to include exports and ‘broader general cargo services’.
Marina Bottelli, Swissport’s Country Manager for Italy, underlined: “Scaling from 9 to 100 tons per day in such a short time, is a clear demonstration of Swissport’s ability to deploy harmonized global standards, advanced handling processes, and high-performing teams. Malpensa is a critical cargo gateway for Italy and Europe, and this success reflects our commitment to delivering reliable, efficient, and seamless cargo flows for our customers across the region.”
In other Swissport news, this week, the aviation services provider revealed that 24 of its Pharma Centers are now IATA CEIV certified. The latest to pass was Düsseldorf, which joined Manchester, New York JFK, and Shanghai this year. Swissport operates 65 pharma-capable warehouses and 24 warehouses certified for pharmaceutical logistics under industry standards including the Air Transport Association’s CEIV Pharma, the British Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), and Good Distribution Practice (GDP). Around 10% of the 5 million tons that Swissport handled in 2024, were pharma shipments and these continue to increase. “in both scale and handling complexity,” the press release stated.
Dirk Goovaerts, CEO Continental Europe, Middle East, Africa, India & Global Cargo Chair, Swissport, disclosed: “The primary driver for our cold chain reinforcement is the fundamental shift in pharmaceutical manufacturing toward biologics and temperature-sensitive therapies. This evolution requires a specialized handling infrastructure at a global scale. Facilities like Düsseldorf, together with our certified pharma network and digital monitoring systems, enable us to deliver safe, compliant, and reliable logistics at scale to meet growing market demand. Pharmaceutical transport is rapidly evolving, and Swissport is well-equipped to offer best-in-class, commodity-specific handling services at scale.”
