Handling company Dnata is to expand its Zurich cargo capacity by 50% with a new terminal at the airport.

The company handled 56,000 tonnes of cargo in 2025, up nearly 4% year on year. The new facility is scheduled to open in early 2027 and will increase capacity from 60,000 to 90,000 tonnes a year.

It will include 8,330sq m of warehouse space, of which 7,580 square metres will be dedicated to indoor cargo handling, complemented by 4,600 metres of covered outdoor handling areas. It will replace the existing Fracht West warehouse, originally built in the 1960s.

Alongside the airport’s investment of more than CHF 40 million in the building infrastructure, the handler is committing CHF 6 million to equip the site, including the installation of a ULD material handling system. There will be two truck docks for ULD handling and 18 dock levellers, and a dedicated 1,000sq m pharmaceutical handling area to support GDP-compliant operations, including temperature-controlled zones for both 2–8°C and 15–25°C cargo.