Worldwide Flight Services (WFS), a member of The SATS Group, announced that it is set to open a fifth cargo handling terminal at Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport to provide additional growth capacity and secure its position as Madrid's largest independent handling provider.

In a statement, WFS said construction of the new 6,500m₂ terminal has now commenced, and WFS aims to begin operations from the facility by the end of Q1 2024, increasing its total cargo facility footprint in Madrid to 17,000m₂.

WFS noted that it has been present in the Madrid cargo and ground handling market since 1998 and serves 39 airline customers, also providing trucking services connecting other key airports in Spain and across the EU.

In support of its long-term commitment to the airport and its airline community, WFS said it had signed a 30-year lease on the new building opening in 2024, which sits on a 12,500m2 plot connected to the airport tarmac.

"As with all new WFS cargo terminals, the building is being designed to incorporate the highest levels of safety, security, and customer service as well as to support WFS’ progressive digitisation and sustainability programmes," WFS said.

The building will offer 17 landside truck and van docks, two build-up pallet lanes and docks, four airside truck and dollies dock with tilting and 20-foot ULD handling capabilities, and a secured refrigerated cargo acceptance area.

It also provides 2-8°C and 15-25°C loose and mechanised temperature-controlled cool rooms for pharma and perishable shipments, supported by WFS' GDP certification in Madrid, among others.

WFS said the new multi-user building will match WFS' other cargo terminals in Madrid by being powered by 100% renewable energy, including energy generation by solar panels located on the roof of the facility, which will also power LED lighting, warehouse climatization and electric battery chargers for cars and warehouse GSE.

Indoor AGV (Automated Guided Vehicles) will also be introduced into the facility in the second half of 2024.   

"Madrid is such a strategically important cargo market as a hub for Central and South America to and from the EU and connecting the Middle and Far East markets. This new cargo terminal will help to future-proof WFS' service offering by increasing our handling capacity by 60% for our current and future airline customers," said Humberto Castro, managing director of WFS in Spain.

"This will enable us to accommodate strong organic growth and support the significant increase of inbound e-commerce traffic from China," he added.