Air China Cargo Awards WFS New 3-Year Freighter Contract in Madrid
Worldwide Flight Services’ (WFS) commitment to operational excellence and investment in its cargo handling infrastructure at Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport has been rewarded with a new three-year contract extension to serve Air China Cargo’s freighter services at the Spanish airport.
Air China Cargo has been a longstanding customer of WFS, a member of the SATS Group, in Madrid since commencing regular freighter cargo operations connecting China and Spain in 2020. The new contract will see WFS handle more than 36,000 tonnes of cargo a year for the airline, which currently operates eight Boeing 777 freighter flights a week to Madrid, originating from Hangzhou and Guanzhou via Beijing.
As well as cargo handling services, WFS will also continue to provide aircraft ground handling services for Air China Cargo’s freighter operations in Madrid.
Additionally, outside of this contract, WFS continues to provide cargo handling for Air China’s road feeder services.
“Air China Cargo is a very significant customer of WFS and we enjoy a close working partnership with the airline. With the high volumes of e-commerce traffic, especially, from China to Europe, we fully understand the need for fast and efficient handling services to meet the airline’s requirements. This new three-year contract reflects the airline’s trust in WFS and the operational excellence our team in Madrid are consistently delivering,” said Humberto Castro, managing director of WFS in Spain.
In Q1 2024, WFS will open a fifth cargo handling facility in Madrid to further support the growth of its 40 airline customers. Construction of the new 6,500 sq. m. terminal is advancing and the additional 6,500 sq. m. warehouse will increase WFS’ total cargo footprint in Madrid to 17,000 sq. m.
WFS has signed a 30-year lease on the new building, located on a 12,500 sq. m. plot connected to the airport tarmac, increasing its handling capacity by 60 percent. In support of the airport’s development and sustainability, and as part of its long-term commitment to the local airline community, the new WFS cargo terminal will be powered by 100 percent renewable energy and incorporate dedicated temperature-controlled cool rooms for pharma and perishables shipments as well as dedicated areas for other premium and special cargos.
