Kuehne+Nagel expands Frankfurt handling with WFS services deal

Worldwide Flight Services, a SATS company, has secured a contract from Kuehne+Nagel to provide freight forwarder handling services at Frankfurt Airport. The agreement marks an expansion of cooperation between the two companies at one of Europe’s largest air cargo gateways.

The contract follows the launch of WFS’ E-commerce and Freight Forwarder Handling (EFFH) services at new facilities in the airport’s Cargo City South. The company has taken leases on two warehouses and two office buildings across a 24,000 square metre site, which began operations in December. The facilities are equipped with ULD handling systems and volume and dimension scanners to support shipment processing and have capacity to handle up to 100,000 tonnes of import and export freight each year.

“Kuehne+Nagel is a key and highly valued partner of SATS and WFS, and we are proud to be expanding our global partnership in Frankfurt, which has been made possible by the launch of our E-Commerce & Freight Forwarder Handling services in our new facilities at the airport,” said Bert Selis, VP Business Development E-Commerce & Freight Forwarding Handling EMEAA at Worldwide Flight Services. “Our EFFH services are central to the growth strategy of SATS/WFS and are designed to deliver clear operational and cost benefits to growing logistics providers, as Kuehne+Nagel has recognised with this new contract,” he added.

Kuehne+Nagel said the agreement will support its airfreight operations through faster processing at Frankfurt. “We are pleased to expand our partnership with WFS in Frankfurt. Frankfurt is an important gateway within the Kuehne+Nagel airfreight network. Together, we can speed up imports and exports by reducing clearance and processing times to optimise cargo flows for our customers,” said Martin Schaefer, SVP Air Logistics Germany at Kuehne+Nagel.

Under the contract, WFS will handle import shipments and manage export processes, including recording weight and dimensions, securing cargo for transport, and preparing goods for carriage. The scope also covers cargo labelling, consolidation of HAWBs into Master Airway Bills, ULD build-up, and transport shuttles to ground handlers and airlines for departing flights.

The Frankfurt operation adds to WFS’ network of EFFH locations across Europe. The network includes sites in Amsterdam, Brussels, Copenhagen, Dublin, Liège, London, Madrid, Stockholm, and multiple airports in France, including Paris Charles de Gaulle.