WFS announced the signing of a contract with Copenhagen Airport for developing and operating a new Terminal 3 cargo centre, in a move to enable ‘future airfreight growth’ for the airport and its airline clients. The 3,700 sq mt warehouse facility will open in Q4 2022.
In the meantime, to support its airline customers’ growing volumes, WFS has taken a 12-month lease on an additional facility to provide the additional capacity it needs in the short-term, until construction of the new cargo centre is completed next year.
WFS is the largest cargo handler in Copenhagen, supporting 31 airlines with flights to and from the Danish capital. It also provides cargo handling services for a further 127 offline carriers. It opened its first 4,600 sq mt cargo terminal in Copenhagen in 2008 and expanded with an additional 3,000 sq mt Terminal 2 facility at the beginning of 2010. In 2019, WFS also invested in a new GDP-certified Pharma facility, increasing its footprint by a further 1,500 sq mt.
Thomas Woldbye, Group CEO, Copenhagen Airports said, “With this significant expansion of an additional handling terminal, WFS has ensured further improvement and capacity for growth in the airfreight segment in Copenhagen Airport. This fits well with Copenhagen Airport’s cargo strategy and will enable opportunities for future airfreight growth. Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, WFS has proven to be a solid partner and maintained good contingency, which has contributed to the airfreight market receiving a stable and good service in CPH under these difficult conditions and large fluctuations in the volumes of airfreight in our region.”
In the past 12 months, WFS has renewed airline contracts at Copenhagen Airport with Qatar Airways and Sichuan Airlines, and now handles 100,000 tonnes of cargo annually across its facilities, as well as providing airside cargo handling. In addition to facilitating rising general cargo volumes, WFS’ investment at the airport is also important in supporting Medicon Valley, the strongest life science cluster in the Nordic countries, which spans the Greater Copenhagen area.
“Throughout the pandemic, WFS has continued to provide a full 24/7/365 cargo handling service for our customers in Copenhagen, including those closely connected to the country’s thriving pharma industry. As volumes recover to close to their pre-covid level, and we see new growth potential ahead, we are able to make this new investment to ensure WFS and Copenhagen Airport have the infrastructure in place to maintain high quality cargo handling services, for both our existing clients and future customers which recognise this strategically-important regional cargo hub,” added Thomas Egeland, General Manager, WFS in Scandinavia.
