PrivatPort Expands FBO Network and Opens Dubai Ops Center

Ground handling giant Swissport is refocusing its activities in the business aviation sector through its reorganized PrivatPort division. The company is adding a pair of FBOs in Mexico to the seven other dedicated facilities it operates, and also provides handling for business aircraft at more than 70 locations across Swissport’s global network of around 300 airports in almost 50 countries.

The new FBOs are located at the international airports at Cancún (MMUN) and Tulum (MMTL), which serve nearby tourist resorts on Mexico’s Riviera Maya coast. PrivatPort, which has assumed responsibility for most of the locations served by the Swissport Executive business unit, also operates FBOs in Geneva, Auckland and Hawke's Bay in New Zealand, and in the Moroccan cities of Casablanca, Rabat, Marrakech, and Tangier.

At Swissport’s other ground handling locations, private aviation customers have access to its facilities in either general aviation terminals (GAT) or the main passenger terminal. For instance, operators at Basel Airport in Switzerland now have access to the GAT there. Last year, PrivatPort supported around 14,000 flights.

According to PrivatPort CEO Josua Hildbrand, Swissport is ready to invest in the business aviation sector to realize what the group sees as potential to generate strong revenues. In a bid to offer “more visible and better infrastructure” to aircraft operators and their passengers, the rebooted subsidiary intends to expand through a mix of acquisitions and building FBOs.

New Ops Center in Dubai

In August, PrivatPort is opening its flight operations control center in Dubai. This facility will provide operators with 24/7 global support, with a single point of contact being able to arrange all aspects of service wherever needed.

“At the heart of what we do is a hybrid model that we believe is unique to the market,” Hildbrand told AIN. “We carry the soul of a boutique FBO with white-glove, discreet, bespoke hospitality and deeply personal service, combined with the backbone of a global operator. In practice, our clients experience the intimacy and attentiveness of a premium independent FBO with the assurance that industrial-grade reliability is working quietly behind the scenes.”

According to the company, it is capable of handling any aircraft type currently in service worldwide at any of its locations. The company has access to Swissport’s extensive fleet of ground support equipment and follows its operating standards.

Swissport, which was formed in 1996, provides handling services for airliners operating passenger and air cargo flights. In 2020, the company was acquired by a group of private equity investors when its previous owner, the Chinese conglomerate HNA Group, was facing bankruptcy.

This story was updated on June 18 to note additional FBO locations in New Zealand and Morocco.