CARGOLOGIC Freight Services will be responsible for all airfreight handling activities at the airport of Lugano-Agno and at Bioggio from January.

The company, owned by the Rhenus Group, will take over the staff and the airside and landside air cargo handling business of Swiss WorldCargo in Ticino.

The goal is to continue expanding the market in Ticino and open new handling platforms for landside transport in addition to the services already provided including one in Chiasso.

Top priority will be given to connecting southern Switzerland to the Cargologic hubs in Zurich and Frankfurt, with numerous flights to destinations all over the world, a statement from Swiss WorldCargo said.

"Airfreight handling do not belong to Swiss WorldCargo's core business. Therefore, we believe Cargologic is the ideal partner for the development of the cargo business in Lugano Agno and Bioggio," said WorldCargo regional manager for Switzerland, Urs Stulz.

Cargologic, which handles 500,000 tonnes of freight annually, is now expanding its European air cargo handling and European road feeder network. The company employs 1,000 people at Frankfurt, Zurich, Basel, Berne, Bratislava, Parchim and Lugano airports.