WFS opens new air cargo facility at Lyon airport
A new 25,313-square-metre cargo facility at Lyon-Saint Exupéry airport will consolidate WFS operations and support growing air freight volumes, including temperature-sensitive shipments.
Aéroports de Lyon, Worldwide Flight Services (WFS), Prologis and Groupe em2c have inaugurated a new air cargo handling facility at the CargoPort zone of Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport in France.
Named Aéroport de Lyon DC1, the facility has been developed by Prologis, a global logistics real estate company and long-term investor, and will be operated by WFS, a SATS Group company and global airport services provider.
The new facility is directly integrated into the airport’s CargoPort infrastructure, strengthening cargo handling capabilities and supporting the movement of air freight through Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport.
The inauguration brings together the airport operator, cargo handler, and logistics real estate partners as the facility begins operations within the airport’s dedicated cargo zone.
Fifteen months after its groundbreaking, Aéroport de Lyon DC1 has entered the operational phase, with the facility designed to manage cargo flows between landside access points, handling areas and airside operations.
The facility provides dedicated areas for different types of cargo before shipments are transferred to the airside. Its layout is designed to simplify cargo movements, reduce handling steps, and enhance operational reliability, supporting faster and more seamless air freight operations.
Vincent Sadé, Vice President, Head of Capital Deployment, France, at Prologis, said, “Aéroport de Lyon DC1 reflects the evolution of our business: beyond the building itself, we design infrastructure that is directly integrated into our customers’ operations. Our role was to align the constraints of the airport environment, real estate requirements, and WFS’s operational needs to create a solution that is fit for purpose, high-performing, and built to last.”
WFS, which has operated at Lyon Airport since 1971, is consolidating its local activities at a single facility with the opening of Aéroport de Lyon DC1. The new site will enable WFS to serve its 380 customers from one location while supporting the continued expansion of its cargo operations at CargoPort.
Laurent Bernard, Vice President, France, at WFS, said, “Aéroport de Lyon DC1 marks a new chapter for WFS in Lyon. Directly connected to the airfield, this new facility gives our teams an optimal working environment to support our growth. With this next-generation facility, we will be ideally positioned to respond to changes in the air cargo market, particularly in high-value segments such as pharmaceuticals, while improving operational efficiency and handling capacity.”
Aéroport de Lyon DC1 has been developed through the combined expertise of four partners, with each contributing to different aspects of the project. Prologis led the development and is the facility’s long-term investor, while Groupe em2c handled the design, construction coordination and technical supervision.
WFS is responsible for operating the facility and consolidating its Lyon-based activities at the site. Aéroports de Lyon, meanwhile, has overseen the facility’s integration with CargoPort’s airport infrastructure and operations. The building is also targeting BREEAM Very Good certification, reflecting its focus on environmental performance.
Yvan Patet, President of Groupe em2c, said Aéroport de Lyon DC1 reflects a shared vision among regional and international partners to support economic development in the region. He said the project demonstrates the value of combining advisory expertise, strategic support, technical capabilities, and supply chain knowledge to create a facility tailored to the specific needs of air cargo while incorporating sustainable real estate principles.
Aéroport de Lyon DC1 offers 25,313 square metres of usable floor area on a 52,000-square-metre site. The facility includes 19,200 square metres of warehouse space spread across three air cargo handling units, including 4,400 square metres of cold-storage facilities. It also provides 3,700 square metres of office space across the first and second floors, located in two blocks on the northern and southern sides of the building, along with 700 square metres of operational office space for WFS. The facility features 36 loading doors, including five dedicated to aircraft pallet transfers, and is targeting BREEAM Very Good certification.
