Air France has outsourced its cargo handling at Paris-Orly Airport to Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) with a five-year cargo and mail handling contract.
WFS started handling the post on 5 May but took over the full cargo handling on 15 July, work which Air France had done itself prior to the contract. The contract covers handling cargo and mail, freight documentation processing, safety and security procedures, and ramp transport for 1,200 Air France flights per month. WFS will have 12,000 square metres of warehouse facilities and 1,500 square metres of offices at Paris-Orly. The deal will provide 70 new jobs at Paris-Orly. The value of the contract has not been disclosed.
Chief executive officer Europe at WFS, Emilio Fernandez says, “WFS is very proud and excited about this new partnership and we appreciate the long-term confidence Air France is showing in our ability to deliver the high quality of service it demands for its customers.”
The Paris-Orly contract is the fifth French contract Air France has awarded WFS in 12 months following similar contracts at Nice Cote d’Azur Airport, Bordeaux-Merignac Airport, Strasbourg Airport and Marseille Provence Airport. In March, WFS expanded its services at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, handling cargo for AirBridgeCargo’s thrice-weekly Boeing 747 freighter service from Paris to Moscow, TMA Cargo’s twice weekly Paris to Beirut service using a Boeing 767 Freighter and an Airbus A300 Freighter, and XL Airways services to North America, Mexico and the Dominican Republic.
That brought the amout of cargo handled in Paris to 40,000 tonnes a month and meant it served 180 airlines in France.
In June, WFS extended its fuelling contract at Hong Kong International Airport, which it started in 1998, for another seven years. It also expanded its services in Africa with services to Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta International Airport under its Africa Flight Services brand.
Globally, WFS serves 300 airlines at 120 airports, handling four million tonnes of cargo a year. It has an annual turnover of 580 million euros ($785 million).
