Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) says it has increased cargo handling capacity by 60% at Madrid’s Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport with the opening of its fifth cargo terminal.

WFS has signed a 30-year lease on the new building which increases the organisation’s total cargo facility footprint in Madrid to 17,000 sqm.

Located on a 12,500 sqm site with 6,500 sqm of warehouse, the facility is connected to the airport tarmac and provides WFS and its customers with 17 landside truck/van docks plus 2 BUP dedicated docks with by-pass ability.

Other features include two build-up pallet lanes and docks, four airside truck docks with 20-feet ULD handling capabilities, a secured refrigerated cargo acceptance area, temperature-controlled cool rooms for pharma and perishable shipments, a material handling system, four integrated lowerable workstations with scales and three loose cargo scales, and special cargoes spaces.

In the last 12 months, WFS has renewed cargo contracts in Madrid with customers including Air China, Air Europa, Etihad Airways, Pegasus, Turkish Airlines and World2Fly, and signed new agreements with CMA CGM and TAAG Angola Airlines.

John Batten, chief executive for Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Asia (EMEAA) at WFS, said: “New cargo terminals provide us with the opportunity to embrace our sustainability and digitalisation programmes from day one of the operation.

“This facility demonstrates our long-term commitment to Madrid and our current and future customers serving this growing airport.”

WFS has been providing cargo, ground handling, and national and European road feeder services for airlines in Madrid since 1998 and has invested to increase and upgrade its handling infrastructure with previously opened additional facilities in 2001, 2018, and 2019.

The new facility in Madrid is powered by 100% renewable energy which provides the LED lighting supply, warehouse climatisation, and electric battery chargers for cars and warehouse GSE.

Alongside, indoor AGV (Automated Guided Vehicles) to 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.

Humberto Castro, managing director of WFS in Spain and Italy, said: “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.

“Our continued investment at the airport shows WFS’ 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.”

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