Swissport Executive Aviation (SEA) was set to open a dedicated business aircraft handling operation at Zurich International Airport on January 1. This is the 57th facility in the company’s business aviation handling network.

Passengers will be accommodated mainly in Zurich’s General Aviation Center. If they wish, they can also be taken to a VIP lounge in the main terminal building, which is accessible from the airside by a short limousine ride.

Pilots will be assisted in SEA’s new premises within the airport’s operations center, which is located between the GAC and the main terminal. The 2,000-sq-ft facility incorporates a flight-planning suite and a pilot lounge offering free Internet access, coffee and mineral water, as well as tv and an in-house cafeteria. The main airport terminal is a short walk away for those who want to do shopping.

According to SEA vice president Anita Grossenbacher, business aviation traffic at Zurich was set to increase by 18 percent by the end of last year. The company competes with Jet Aviation, which also operates from the GAC, and ExecuJet Aviation, which occupies the dedicated executive terminal Signature Flight Support built in the 1990s.

SEA has business aircraft handling operations in Europe, the Americas, Asia and the Middle East. Most of these are run by teams of specially trained, dedicated staff within the airline ground handling stations of its Swissport parent. At Geneva, SEA has a joint-venture operation with executive charter group PrivatAir. The venture trades under the name PrivatPort. At Nice, France, SEA has another joint-venture operation with flight-planning group Universal Weather & Aviation.