Korean Air has selected Swissport to operate its freight facility at New York JFK, with plans for investment in infrastructure and capacity expansion.
The new five-year contract started on 1 September and covers Korean Air’s 232,500 sq ft Cargo Building 9 at the North American airport.
As part of the deal, Swissport will operate, sublease, and “extensively modernise” the facility. Investments in automation and infrastructure upgrades, including an Elevating Transfer Vehicle (ETV) system and new temperature-controlled storage.
The investments will see the site’s annual throughput capacity increase from 200,000 to 295,500 tons.
Dedicated Korean Air Cargo operations will begin with a team of around 80 staff, eventually growing to 390+ employees once Cargo Building 9 reaches full capacity, the partners said in a press release.
Nelson Camacho, chief executive of Swissport North America and Canada, said: “Swissport is strongly committed to raising and further fine-tuning the standard of cargo handling at New York JFK airport and is therefore investing significantly in establishing high-tech quality automation, transparent systems and enhanced safety measures, while also pursuing IATA CEIV and GDP certifications.”
Jaedong Eum, executive vice president and head of the cargo business division at Korean Air, added: “Air Cargo ground quality comes along with operational excellence beyond efficiency.
“And continuous investment in state-of-the-art equipment and training is crucial for successful and sustainable operations.”
Swissport added that it would also invest in new electric ground support wquipment and is working closely with the port authority to ensure Korean Air’s Cargo Building 9 is equipped with a reliable charging infrastructure.
“Swissport will be the first handler at JFK to operate an all-electric fleet for all freighter operations from warehouse to ramp,” the handler said.
“Korean Air Cargo customers will also benefit from Bionatur biodegradable products, which Swissport is introducing across the North America region, to significantly reduce plastic waste in day-to-day cargo operations, including packaging and handling.”
The move is not the airline’s first capacity expansion announced this year. In August Korean Air announced it would buy eight 777-8 freighters from Boeing.