WFS opens Copenhagen pharma center

Worldwide Flight Services (WFS), the ground handler and airport services provider, officially opened its new pharmaceutical facility at Copenhagen Airport (CPH). WFS began the upgrade of its CPH facilities 18 months earlier, and has since seen a significant increase in pharmaceutical volumes at the airport, WFS said in a statement.

WFS’ new Copenhagen facility features a 1,500 square meter building with temperature-controlled storage areas for products requiring storage in the +2-+8°C range and +15-+25°C range. The building includes infrastructure for acceptance, offload, pre-storage, build-up and storage for loose shipments and pre-built pallets with capacity for up to 300 Euro-pallets.

“Pharma is a big focus because both Denmark and Sweden have important pharmaceutical production sites located in or around the Oresund region and Copenhagen is a natural international gateway for these products,” WFS’ SVP of commercial cargo – EMEAA, Dan Parker, said. “By increasing our commitment, we also hope pharma volumes still being trucked to other airports will now see WFS is offering a more local, high quality and cost-efficient solution and this will also contribute to the continued growth of the airport.”

WFS, which is already the world’s largest cargo handler, has increased its investments in pharma handling over the past two years to establish itself as a GDP and CEIV option for pharma shipments. Pharmaceuticals are an attractive product for air cargo carriers thanks to the high value by volume of the cargo type.

The opening of the CPH facility comes during the same month as the opening of WFS’ new €10 million pharma center in Paris at Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG). The handler also said that its CPH cargo handling footprint increased to 13,900 square meters as of Sept. 1, with the opening of another 4,700 square meter freight center at the airport.