Swissport is ramping up efforts to decarbonise its global airport ground operations with a €1.5 billion investment plan aimed at electrifying its ground support equipment (GSE) fleet and expanding renewable energy use over the next five years, the company said on Wednesday.
The Zurich-based aviation services provider said 25% of its GSE fleet – which totals around 14,500 motorised units – is already electric, with significant progress made at major airports in Switzerland, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. By 2032, Swissport aims to raise this share to 55%.
In Switzerland, the company’s eGSE penetration has reached 43% at Zurich Airport, 51.4% at Basel, and 59.4% at Geneva, with all three expected to hit 55% electrification by the end of 2025. In the Netherlands, the transition is complete at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, where Swissport has operated a fully electric GSE fleet since February 2025. In the UK, the company has doubled its electric fleet footprint across Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, and Luton airports in the past two years.
Swissport has acquired over 1,000 new hybrid and electric vehicles in the past 18 months across 28 countries. These include electric baggage tractors, belt loaders, passenger steps, and pushback tractors sourced under long-term agreements with major equipment manufacturers to ensure performance and service consistency.
The company stated that the move toward electric ground handling vehicles not only contributes to reducing CO₂ and particulate emissions but also supports quieter operations, improved safety, lower maintenance costs, and potential future automation.
“We are delivering on our sustainability commitments with concrete actions,” said Warwick Brady, President & CEO of Swissport International. “This investment in eco-tech is a decisive step and reflects our industry-leading position on sustainability and innovation. Over the next five years we will be building the world’s largest electric GSE fleet.”
Starting this year, Swissport has mandated the purchase of selected electric GSE models. From 2027 onward, the company plans to exclusively acquire electric vehicles, provided adequate infrastructure and equipment availability at airports.