Swissport has reached a new milestone at EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg, handling more than 1,000 temperature-controlled containers through its cool+connect facility as pharmaceutical volumes continue to climb.
Since launching the infrastructure in February 2025, Swissport has seen monthly throughput increase to around 200-250 RKN-equivalent units, reflecting sustained demand for dependable airport-based cold chain solutions.
The company said the growth reinforces Basel’s role as a strategic life science export gateway in Europe and strengthens Swissport’s position within global pharmaceutical supply chains linking Europe to key markets in Asia and beyond.
The operation is supported by Swissport’s wider pharma network, which includes 24 certified pharma centres and 65 pharma-capable warehouses worldwide.
At Basel, the cool+connect set-up is designed to optimise handling of +2 to +8°C shipments. By consolidating consignments directly at the airport before loading them into active cooltainers, Swissport says it can maintain full cold chain integrity while eliminating off-airport trucking movements. The process also cuts handling times by around 70% and reduces CO2 emissions.
Andreas Behnke, regional head of cargo for Switzerland, Italy and France, said the milestone highlights the structural growth taking place in temperature-controlled cargo. He noted that demand from pharmaceutical manufacturers and healthcare logistics providers continues to increase, particularly for airport-based solutions that reduce complexity and transit times.
According to Behnke, the facility combines efficiency, scalability and sustainability in a way that aligns with the changing requirements of modern pharmaceutical supply chains.
