Payload Asia Awards 2026: Vienna Airport Named Europe's Best Ground Handler for the Third Time

Payload Asia Awards 2026: Vienna Airport Named Europe's Best Ground Handler for the Third Time
 
Triple Success for Vienna Airport: Austria’s largest airport has once again been named “Ground Handler of the Year – Europe” at the prestigious Payload Asia Awards. Following wins in 2022 and 2025, this is the third time Vienna Airport has received this coveted title. This once again confirms the consistently high quality of service and reliability across all ground and cargo handling operations, even on an international level. The award was presented on October 19, 2026, during the 13th Payload Asia Awards in Singapore.
 
“Three awards as Europe’s best ground handler are a strong international endorsement
of the quality of our ground handling services at Vienna Airport. Especially in a highly competitive market, efficient processes, reliability, and high-performance standards are crucial factors for success. The fact that we rank among the best in Europe is primarily thanks to the dedication and expertise of our ground handling teams,” emphasizes Julian Jäger, joint CEO and COO of Vienna Airport.
 
“Whether it’s aircraft handling, baggage handling, large cargo volumes, or the transport of sensitive pharmaceuticals—at Vienna Airport, we offer our customers reliable services and fast turnaround times, even when demands are high. To achieve this, our modern infrastructure, well-coordinated processes, and the experience of our teams work together seamlessly. Receiving this award once again confirms our high-quality standards and serves as an incentive to continuously improve our services for airlines, freight forwarders, and passengers,” adds Michael Zach, Senior Vice President Ground Handling & Cargo Operations of Vienna Airport.
 
Vienna Airport: High-Performance Ground Handling and Cargo Services
As one of the few publicly traded airports in Europe, Vienna Airport covers the entire value chain of the travel process under one roof—from ground and passenger handling to security services. Its range of services includes, among other things, aircraft handling on the apron, baggage handling, and specialized services for a wide variety of cargo types. As a major international cargo hub for Central and Eastern Europe, the airport offers intercontinental connections—primarily to Asia and North America—as well as a dense network of air cargo feeder services. With 24-hour operational readiness, ten Category F aircraft stands in the immediate vicinity of the terminal building, and fast turnaround times, Vienna Airport offers high-performance services for air cargo. For temperature-sensitive shipments, the Vienna Pharma Handling Center—a GDP-certified cargo center—is also available.
 
About the Payload Asia Awards
The Payload Asia Awards are organized by the international air cargo trade magazine Payload Asia and recognize outstanding achievements in the air cargo and logistics industry. Since 2012, companies from sectors including airlines, airports, ground handling, logistics, and technology have been honoured for innovation, service quality, and operational excellence. The awards were held for the 13th time in 2026.
 
Contact:
 
Press Office                                                                   
Peter Kleemann, Company Spokesman                      
Tel.: (+43-1-) 7007-23000                                            
E-Mail: p.kleemann@viennaairport.com                   
Website: www.viennaairport.com
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/flughafenwien
X:  twitter.com/flughafen_wien
Instagram:  www.instagram.com/vienna_airport
LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/company/vienna-international-airport