(04/07/24) Worldwide Flight Services (WFS), a member of
the SATS Group, has increased cargo handling capacity at
Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD) in Madrid by 60%, with the official opening of
a fifth cargo terminal.
WFS has been a provider of cargo, ground
handling and road feeder services for airlines in Madrid since
1998. The company previously expanded services at MAD by opening additional facilities in 2001, 2018
and 2019.
This latest terminal increases WFS’ total cargo
facility footprint at Europe’s second largest airport to 17,000
sqm.
In
the last 12 months, WFS has not only renewed cargo contracts in Madrid with
customers including Air China, Air Europa, Etihad Airways,
Pegasus, Turkish Airlines and World2Fly, but has also signed new agreements
with CMA CGM and TAAG Angola Airlines.
Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD) in Madrid, Spain
“It is a proud day
for WFS to be opening another state-of-the-art cargo handling
facility in the EMEAA region. New cargo terminals provide us with the opportunity to embrace our sustainability and digitalisation
programmes from day one of the operation,” said John Batten, CEO –
EMEAA, WFS. “This facility
demonstrates our long-term commitment to Madrid and our current
and future customers serving this growing airport.”
In support of its long-term commitment to the
airport, WFS has signed a 30-year lease
on the new building opening, which sits on a 12,500 sqm site with
6,500 sqm of warehouse, connected to the
airport tarmac. The building provides WFS and its customers with:
• 17 landside truck/van docks for cargo collections
and deliveries, plus two BUP dedicated docks with by-pass ability;
•
Direct access from the airport main road to the facility;
• Two
build-up pallet lanes and docks;
• Four airside truck docks with
20-feet ULD handling capabilities;
• A secured refrigerated cargo
acceptance area;
• 2-8°C and 15-25°C temperature-controlled cool
rooms for pharma and perishable shipments, supported by WFS’ GDP
(Good Distribution Practice) certification in Madrid;
• A
material handling system connecting the landside and airside docks;
• Four integrated lowerable workstations with scales and 3 loose
cargo scales;
• Dedicated areas for DGS, VUN, HUM, PIL and AVI
special cargo;
• Security systems and
technologies, including 24/7 CCTV monitoring; and
• Office
accommodation.
This new building is located alongside the main
freighter parking area and close to Terminals 4 and 4S, shortening
cargo transport times.
The facility is powered by 100% renewable energy which provides
the LED lighting supply, warehouse climatization, and electric
battery chargers for cars and warehouse GSE. Indoor automated
guided vehicles (AGV) will also be introduced in the second half of
2024.
The facility uses Cargospot mobile warehouse technology, the
CargoKiosk digital system to automate and expedite truck
processing times, and a Warehouse Workflow Monitoring System to
meet customer KPIs and ensure consistent levels of efficiency.
“Madrid is strategically important to
WFS as a premier European hub for Central and South America cargo
volumes, as well as its easy connections for goods moving across
the EU and to the Middle and Far East markets. It is also one of
the preferred e-commerce destinations in Europe, which is an area
of major growth today,” said Humberto Castro, Managing
Director of WFS in Spain and Italy. “Our continued investment at the
airport shows WFS’s intention to remain the leading provider of
cargo and ground services in Madrid and to remain a key part of
the airport’s continued success.”