IATA has updated its 2025 cargo and ground handling manuals to keep pace with evolving industry standards, regulatory adjustments, and operator requirements, covering five key documents including DGR, BSR, LAR, AHM and CTM. The revisions involve expanded dangerous goods catalogs, upgraded battery shipping rules, optimized animal transport specifications, updated airport handling protocols, and refined compassionate transportation guidelines, with a total of over 350 changes reflecting the industry’s priorities of digitalisation and sustainability. In addition, IATA’s ONE Source platform offers free industry access to relevant resources, helping to improve the handling efficiency of special cargo shipments.

The New Terminal One at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport is scheduled to be put into use next year and will become the world's first airport terminal to adopt a centralized all-electric ground support equipment (GSE) shared fleet, which is provided by TCR and shared by ground staff.

Swissport has reached a cooperation agreement with Lufthansa Group, providing comprehensive ground services including passenger services, apron operations, and baggage management for over 40 daily flights at London Heathrow Airport. The cooperation period lasts until 2030 and covers four airlines including Austrian Airlines and Brussels Airlines.

Safeport has provided comprehensive ground support for the Airbus A380 at Beja Airport for the second time, following its historic first support for Hi Fly’s A380 (9H-MIP) in 2018. The latest serviced A380, operated by Global Airlines and ferried by Hi Fly, arrived from Dresden, Germany. Safeport’s team undertook a full range of ground handling services, including GSE provision, aircraft towing, water and lavatory services, cleaning, and logistics coordination. This operation reaffirms Safeport’s excellence in handling large passenger aircraft, strengthens its industry leadership, and builds on its past experience with the A380, which previously made a notable appearance for a coral reef conservation campaign.

NAHCO has secured two multi-year ground handling contracts with Afrijet and Air Sierra Leone: it will provide services for Afrijet's Port Harcourt-Lagos flights for three years until 2027, and offer handling services for Air Sierra Leone in Lagos for five years until 2029. Company executives Prince Saheed Lasisi and Olumuyiwa Olumekun highlighted NAHCO’s industry-leading service standards and commitment to quality, noting that the new deals represent significant progress toward the firm’s goal of managing nearly all ground operations for international flights in and out of Nigeria.

Global Ground Support has secured a $10.8 million U.S. defense contract, with the production and delivery of related vehicles scheduled for the first half of 2025. A company spokesman pointed out that U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) orders have been a cornerstone of the company's business since 1999, and this new contract demonstrates the DoD's continued support and confidence in the company's products.

The all-electric aircraft food truck CT6000E, jointly developed by Mallaghan and International Motors, held its launch ceremony in Boston. It will be operated by the catering company DO & CO.

Dnata invested 3 million US dollars to transform Orlando Airport into the new benchmark for ground services in the United States - "Tomorrow Terminal". It is equipped with 14 fully electric ground support equipment and a number of digital systems. It is jointly promoted by partners such as Lufthansa Group, aiming to strengthen the regional aviation industry and drive local economic growth. The CEO of Dnata's Americas region stated that this project aligns with the company's philosophy of improving operational efficiency, safety and service quality, and plans to extend this model to its 22 operating sites in the United States.

Celebi Aviation has achieved a significant increase in operational performance at Budapest Airport. Over the past two years, it has recruited over 200 new employees, resulting in a 85.7% increase in cargo volume and a 15.9% increase in the number of service flights.

This business is carried out based on the seven-year ground handling license granted by the Hesse State Department of Transport in August 2024. The President and CEO of Swissport International emphasized that the core value has won the trust of all parties, and they will further expand their market presence to support the development of the airport in the future.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released multiple updated versions of its core operation manuals, totaling over 350 revisions, with the aim of aligning with evolving industry standards, regulatory requirements of various countries, and the operational needs of airlines.

Swissport continues to expand its aviation cargo operations in the Australia-New Zealand region. In Australia, it has optimized two key facilities: the Melbourne Turramurra Airport Cargo Center enjoys a close proximity to the airside and has temperature-controlled storage capabilities. The Sydney facility, after renovation and expansion, now features multi-purpose cargo handling and compliance qualifications, along with an airside fleet to ensure efficient delivery.

Aurrigo has developed a dedicated rain operation algorithm for its airport automatic towing vehicle Auto-DollyTug, along with a protective housing for the lidar sensor. This enables it to distinguish raindrops from actual obstacles in heavy rain conditions of 50 millimeters per hour, ensuring stable autonomous transportation of luggage and cargo.

dnata Group's Airport Handling has been awarded a seven-year ground handling license at Rome Fiumicino Airport. It has committed to investing over 20 million euros to upgrade the hub's infrastructure and equipment, and plans to deploy a ground support equipment fleet mainly powered by electricity.

Schiphol Airport handles an average of about 31,000 pieces of transfer luggage per day, and the morning rush hour puts pressure on the luggage handling system. For this purpose, the airport, in collaboration with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, has introduced the Aurrigo automatic luggage Tug (Auto DollyTug) for trials. This device is responsible for transporting the luggage of passengers with long transfer times

We have been awarded the maintenance contract for DNATA's Singapore cargo handling system, with the service scope covering the Automated Cargo Handling System (ACHS), the Pallet Cargo Handling System (PCHS), the refrigerated and perishable goods terminal mechanical system, as well as its first material handling system installed in Asia in 1979 (which is undergoing an upgrade).

Swissport has successfully renewed the ground service license for Zurich Airport, with the validity period extending until 2032. It will be able to continue providing a full range of ground services including passenger services, baggage handling, aircraft pushback, and deicing.

Hungary Airlines has launched scheduled cargo services between Budapest and Hong Kong with Airbus A330F freighters (62 tonnes capacity), appointing Hactl to provide one-stop cargo handling solutions covering terminal operations, loading/unloading and documentation. Leveraging Budapest’s e-commerce hub status, the route serves as a key link between Greater China and Europe. The airline also plans to expand its fleet and add services to the USA and Middle East. Hactl’s CEO noted the partnership enhances the company’s global connectivity and aligns with its focus on e-commerce logistics.

SAASA Global will launch the construction of its first freight warehouse in Madrid, thereby becoming the third third-party freight logistics operator at Madrid-Barajas Airport. The warehouse, with a construction area of 6,100 square meters, will be built by Napisa and the total investment will amount to 20.5 million euros.

Brussels Airport launched a ground service provider selection process in February 2024, covering baggage handling, ramp handling, freight/mail transport, and catering transport. Sustainability (especially electrification) was a core criterion, aligned with its goal of full ground operation electrification supported by the EU’s BREEZE programme and its environmental permit (80% zero-emission airside vehicles by 2030).