Worldwide Flight Services has increased its ability to support growing air cargo volumes at Milan-Malpensa Airport with the opening of a new cargo terminal.

According to WFS, the new facility is capable of handling over 47,000 tonnes a year and is the company’s first cargo-handling facility in Italy. WFS previously only operated offices to provide documentation and cargo operations supervision services for American Airlines and China Cargo Airlines.

American Airlines is the launch cargo-handling customer in the new facility, having signed a new and extended contract with WFS in 2018. The terminal will also provide offline handling services for other customers of WFS’ European network.

“Opening our new cargo terminal in Milan is a very important milestone for WFS,” said Massimiliano Introini, managing director of Italy at WFS. “This is the first new cargo facility to open in Milan-Malpensa since 2004 and is part of a 10-15-year commitment by WFS to grow our presence at the airport, where total cargo volumes rose 7.5% in 2017 to 490,000 tonnes. This investment makes WFS the only international on-airport cargo-handling operator in Italy.”

WFS now operates from the airport’s newest freight building, which combines 5,000 square metres of warehouse space with a 3,000-square-metre ramp area and a further 800 square metres of office accommodation. WFS has also invested to equip the operation with the latest cargo-handling and ground support equipment, a cool area for temperature-controlled cargo and racking to store pallets and containers.

“This latest development extends our strong foothold at major cargo airports across Europe and provides a new connection for our European network,” said John Batten, EVP of cargo in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia at WFS. “In Milan, we will offer cargo-handling and technology solutions that deliver the highest quality of service, safety and security, and we look forward to contributing to the airport’s continued success.”

WFS also provides cargo documentation services for airline customers in Rome and Venice.