The Cape Verdean government today announced the sale of 51% of state airport handling company CV Handling to Swissport.
The Swiss company was selected in the privatisation process after presenting a plan committing to “maintaining jobs” and including investment in staff qualification. Swissport will develop a “strategic investment plan” providing for the expansion of the air platform and the development of the civil aviation sector.
CV Handling was created in 2014 and is the only operator licensed to provide air transport handling services in Cape Verde. With 498 employees, it recorded revenue of €16 million in 2024.
Read more: Cape Verde: “There is a domestic travel market with unmet demand”
Swissport presents itself as one of the world’s leading airport handling companies, serving 250 million passengers per year and handling more than five million tonnes of air cargo across 300 airports in 45 countries.
The choice of the Swiss company follows French group Vinci’s announcement in February of a second phase of Cape Verde airport modernisation worth €142 million, under the concession it received from the government in 2022.
The number of airlines flying to Cape Verde is growing thanks to tourism, and Vinci expects the trend to continue. Of the seven airports, four have international connections — on the islands of Sal, Boa Vista, Santiago and São Vicente — and three are dedicated to domestic flights on Fogo, São Nicolau and Maio.
