Swissport Algeria Announces Air Freight Rate Increases

Swissport Algeria, a company specialising in air freight and ground handling services at Houari Boumediene International Airport, has notified its clients and partners of a series of new increases in air freight service fees, effective January 1, 2026. These increases primarily affect imported goods.

According to an official letter from Swissport addressed to its partners and stakeholders, checked out by Echourouk, the company justified these increases, which officially took effect on January 1, 2026, by citing the “current economic situation.” The company emphasised that the price revision aims to ensure business continuity and maintain service levels in light of rising operating costs.

As is well known, Swissport is one of the world’s largest companies specialising in ground handling and air cargo services. It operates in dozens of airports across Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas, offering a range of services including aircraft handling, cargo loading and unloading, warehousing, logistics processing, and ground handling.

In Algeria, Swissport Algeria operates at Houari Boumediene Airport. It handles a significant part of air cargo operations, meaning any adjustment to its rates directly impacts economic operators and the import chain.

The document details the new increases, outlining a comprehensive review of handling and storage fees of all types, specifically related to arrival handling services. A fixed fee of DZD 12.60 was set for shipments weighing between 0 and 25 kilograms, while a fee of DZD 12.63 dinars per kilogram was established for shipments weighing between 26 and 1500 kilograms, with a minimum invoice amount of DZD 2272.

For shipments exceeding 1501 kilograms, the handling fee was set at DZD 7.57 per kilogram. The company also imposed a special fee for the immediate withdrawal of goods, amounting to DZD 30.28 dinars per kilogram, with a mandatory minimum deposit of DZD 6010.

Regarding the storage of ordinary goods, Swissport Algeria maintained the one-day exemption, but set a daily fee of DZD 9.98 per kilogram from the second day to the twenty-second day. From the twenty-third day onwards, the fee increases to DZD 14.02 per kilogram per day.

For the storage of non-radioactive hazardous materials, a fee of DZD 21.60 per kilogram per day has been set, with a minimum payment of DZD 32,400. The fee for storing radioactive hazardous materials is DZD 32.40 per kilogram per day, with a mandatory minimum payment of DZD 54,000.

Regarding refrigerated storage for goods requiring temperatures between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius or between 15 and 25 degrees Celsius, the company has set a daily fee of DZD 15.14 per kilogram for the first five days, increasing to DZD 22.72 per kilogram per day from the sixth day onwards.

For frozen storage at -18°C, the daily fee is set at DZD 30.28 per kilogram for the first five days, increasing to DZD 45.44 per kilogram from the sixth day onwards.

For high-value goods, Swissport Algeria has set a daily storage fee of DZD 24.60 per kilogram, with a mandatory minimum invoice value of DZD 60,102.

The document also included additional fees, such as a scanner fee of DZD 2525 per air waybill, an air waybill correction fee of DZD 3606, a fee for oversized goods of DZD 2160, a document processing fee also set at DZD 2525 per air waybill, and a fee for diverting goods to other destinations, set at DZD 27,000 per air waybill (AWB).

The company confirmed that all these new tariffs will be applied to all goods arriving from January 1, 2026, regardless of their shipping date, meaning that the arrival date will be used to calculate prices.