Swissport has agreed a five-year lease for two newly refurbished units at SEGRO’s air cargo facility at Gatwick Airport in the UK.
Air cargo handling and aviation services company Swissport has leased a combined 62,400 sq ft of warehouse space at SEGRO Park Gatwick, which comprises over 500,000 sq ft of land.
Last month, Swissport opened its fifth cargo facility at Heathrow as part of its plans to increase handling capacity.
Joe Bellfield, chief operating officer, cargo UKI at Swissport, said: “Swissport is delighted to re-enter the London Gatwick Cargo market. With the continued growth in volumes seen within the UK and Ireland, London Gatwick was a logical choice.
“We believe the long-haul potential of the airport and graphical location blends nicely with the continued expansion of our UK and Ireland cargo business as we grow our physical footprint by 41% in the region.”
This deal represents the 12th lease signed by SEGRO within its airport portfolio at Gatwick, Heathrow and Stansted during 2024. The leasing has increased the developer’s airport portfolio occupancy rate to 98%.
Swissport is one of SEGRO’s biggest aviation customers across its on-airport portfolio at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted.
Gareth Baker, director, western corridor at SEGRO, said: “With airlines embracing long haul opportunities, we are seeing significant growth in air cargo facilities across our airport portfolio. Air cargo volumes are projected to rise by 5.8% in the next year*, highlighting the sector’s robust recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
We are always pleased to see our customers expand with us and this deal is particularly exciting, as it represents our biggest leasing at Gatwick in recent years.
“Additionally, the speed at which we successfully leased these two units is testimony to the high standards of our refurbishment efforts.”
Headquartered in London, SEGRO is a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) and an owner, manager and developer of modern warehouses and industrial property. It owns or manages 10.8m sq m of space valued at £20.6bn serving customers from a wide range of industry sectors
