Swissport International has announced the launch of its Digital & Intelligent International Cargo Terminal at Shanghai Pudong Airport, one of the world’s largest air cargo hubs. With this move, Swissport officially enters the Chinese market and strengthens its Asian expansion strategy, which targets the growing demand for cross-border e-commerce.
The project was realized through a partnership established in October 2025 between Swissport and Smarex – a joint venture between AVINEX Logistics (the logistics arm of the Shanghai airport authority) and China Eastern Airlines Logistics. Spanning 144,000 square meters, the new terminal is integrated into Swissport’s global network – which covers 312 airports across 49 countries – thereby connecting Shanghai directly to key cargo hubs in Europe, the Americas, Africa, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific region.
The facility is designed to accelerate e-commerce flows and features automated cargo handling, an expedited “inspect-then-deliver” customs clearance model, and a 15,000-square-meter cold-chain area with temperature ranges from -60°C to +25°C. Swissport notes that the integration of digital infrastructure and AI solutions will boost operational efficiency, cut delivery times on key routes by up to two days, and increase Shanghai’s cargo throughput by 8–10% in the coming years.