The globally active ground handling service provider Swissport has reached an operational milestone in the sensitive air freight segment at the EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg location.
Since the commissioning of the specialized Cool+Connect infrastructure in February 2025, over 1000 temperature-controlled containers have already been successfully handled. With monthly volumes now reaching 200 to 250 units, the airport is consolidating its strategic position as one of Europe's most important hubs for the export and import of pharmaceutical products. The investment in this logistics solution aims to meet the stringent requirements of the global pharmaceutical industry for the integrity of supply chains directly at the tarmac.
The system's technological strength lies in its ability to guarantee an unbroken cold chain within a temperature range of two to eight degrees Celsius. By directly integrating the refrigeration capacity into the cargo terminal at EuroAirport, time-consuming external transport routes to refrigerated intermediate storage facilities outside the airport grounds are eliminated. This results in significant process optimization: the average handling time for temperature-sensitive shipments has been reduced by approximately 70 percent since the system's introduction. Further research within the industry reveals that Swissport is responding to the growing demand for express logistics for biological preparations and vaccines, which cannot tolerate any interruption in refrigeration.
To further enhance process reliability, Swissport is currently conducting stress tests at the site with innovative thermal covers for transport vehicles on the apron. These special thermal covers are designed to maintain a stable internal temperature of cargo for up to three hours, even in extreme external temperatures. This buffer is crucial for bridging waiting times during aircraft loading and unloading without compromising cargo quality. EuroAirport benefits from its geographical proximity to the major production facilities of Basel's pharmaceutical clusters, making it an indispensable location for international logistics chains between Europe, North America, and Asia.
Experts see the developments at EuroAirport as a trend toward further specialization at cargo airports. The combination of certified storage areas and accelerated handling processes enables Swissport to consistently meet the stringent requirements of IATA CEIV Pharma certification. Since global demand for temperature-controlled transport is growing at a double-digit percentage rate annually, according to market analyses, the ground handling company is already planning further capacity scaling. The focus is on upgrading the fleet's technology and expanding storage capacity for specialized containers to further increase throughput in the coming fiscal year and maintain its market leadership in this specialized niche market.