WFS invests in a fifth, new-build cargo terminal in Madrid to provide growth capacity

Worldwide Flight Services (WFS), a part of The SATS Group, is embarking on the construction of a fifth cargo handling terminal at Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport. This new 6,500 m² terminal aims to increase growth capacity and establish WFS as the largest independent handling provider in Madrid. Operations are scheduled to commence by the end of Q1 2024, expanding WFS’s total cargo facility space in Madrid to 17,000 m².

WFS has a strong presence in the Madrid cargo and ground handling market, serving 39 airline customers and offering trucking services that connect key airports in Spain and the EU. The company’s investment in Madrid has been ongoing for over 20 years to meet customer demand at Spain’s leading cargo airport. This new building, situated on a 12,500 m² plot connected to the airport tarmac, will further reinforce its commitment through a 30-year lease.

The new cargo terminal is designed with safety, security, customer service, digitisation, and sustainability in mind. It will feature landside and airside docks, temperature-controlled rooms for pharmaceutical and perishable shipments, mechanised handling systems, security systems, and modern office facilities. It will also operate on 100% renewable energy, including solar panels on the roof, and will introduce Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) in the second half of 2024.

Digitisation efforts will involve mobile warehouse technology, the CargoKiosk system for automating truck processing, and a Warehouse Workflow Monitoring System to ensure efficiency. The terminal is strategically located near Terminals 4 and 4S, enhancing cargo transport efficiency, and is poised to support inbound e-commerce traffic from China along with other growth opportunities in the region.