Worldwide Flight Services' (WFS) has announced its latest investment to expand its cargo handling facilities at the Copenhagen Airport which the gateway said will enable 'future airfreight growth' for the airport and its airline clients. 

In a statement, WFS — the largest cargo handler in Copenhagen — supporting 31 airlines with flights to and from the Danish capital said it also provides cargo handling services for a further 127 offline carriers.

It opened its first 4,600m² cargo terminal in Copenhagen in 2008 and expanded with an additional 3,000m² Terminal 2 facility at the beginning of 2010. In 2019, WFS also invested in a new GDP-certified Pharma facility, increasing its footprint by a further 1,500m².

WFS signed a contract for a new Terminal 3 cargo centre. The 3,700m² warehouse facility will open in the fourth quarter of 2022.

In the meantime, to support its airline customers’ growing volumes, WFS has taken a 12-month lease on an additional facility to provide the additional capacity it needs in the short-term, until construction of the new cargo centre is completed next year, it added.

"With this significant expansion of an additional handling terminal, WFS has ensured further improvement and capacity for growth in the airfreight segment in Copenhagen Airport," Thomas Woldbye, Group CEO of Copenhagen Airports said. 

"This fits well with Copenhagen Airport’s cargo strategy and will enable opportunities for future airfreight growth. Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, WFS has proven to be a solid partner and maintained good contingency, which has contributed to the airfreight market receiving a stable and good service in CPH under these difficult conditions and large fluctuations in the volumes of airfreight in our region," he added.

WFS noted that in the past 12 months, it has renewed airline contracts at Copenhagen Airport with Qatar Airways and Sichuan Airlines, and now handles 100,000 tonnes of cargo annually across its facilities, as well as providing airside cargo handling.

In addition to facilitating rising general cargo volumes, WFS’ investment at the airport is also important in supporting Medicon Valley, the strongest life science cluster in the Nordic countries, which spans the Greater Copenhagen area.

It is home to a vibrant ecosystem underpinned by world-class life science universities and research infrastructure, including 350+ biotech, medtech and pharma companies with local R&D, 4 global R&D pharmaceutical companies, and seven science parks with a major focus on life science.

"As volumes recover to close to their pre-covid level, and we see new growth potential ahead, we are able to make this new investment to ensure WFS and Copenhagen Airport have the infrastructure in place to maintain high quality cargo handling services, for both our existing clients and future customers which recognise this strategically-important regional cargo hub," said Thomas Egeland, general manager, WFS – Scandinavia.