Air China Cargo extends WFS contract in Madrid

Worldwide Flight Services (WFS), a member of the SATS Group, has been granted a three-year contract extension for handling Air China Cargo’s freighter services at the Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport in Madrid.

Air China Cargo has been a longstanding customer of WFS in Madrid since commencing regular freighter cargo operations connecting China and Spain in 2020, says a release from WFS. "The new contract will see WFS handle over 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 Guangzhou via Beijing."

WFS will also continue to provide aircraft ground handling services for Air China Cargo’s freighter operations in Madrid, the release added.

“Air China Cargo is a very significant customer of WFS, and we enjoy a close working partnership with the airline," says Humberto Castro, Managing Director, WFS, Spain. "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."

WFS will open a fifth cargo handling facility in Madrid to support the growth of its 40 airline customers in Q12024. Construction of the new 6,500m₂ terminal is advancing and the additional 6,500 m² warehouse will increase WFS’ total cargo footprint in Madrid to 17,000m₂, the release added.

The new WFS cargo terminal will be powered by 100 percent renewable energy and include dedicated temperature-controlled cool rooms for pharma and perishables shipments as well as dedicated areas for other premium and special cargo.