WFS to operate cargo terminal at Bengaluru-Kempegowda

Global air cargo logistics provider, Worldwide Flight Services (WFS), has been awarded a 15-year license to operate its first cargo handing operation in India at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport (BLR).

As a result of the agreement with Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), from May 2023, WFS will be responsibible for the development, operation, management and maintenance of one of the cargo terminals at India’s third-largest gateway for international import and export cargo.

WFS will also operate and invest in the expansion of the airport’s dedicated Cold Chain Facility.

The cargo terminal awarded to WTF at BLR has the capacity to handle up to 210,000 tonnes of cargo a year. However, the company will use its design, build, finance, process reengineering and development experience to reorganise and refurbish the facility to increase its throughput capacity potential to serve cargo volumes in excess of 250,000 tonnes annually.

And as operators of the dedicated Cold Chain Facility at the Airport, WFS and BIAL will begin a two-phase expansion of the dedicated operation, initially doubling its capacity to 80,000 tonnes per annum before increasing to a throughput capacity in excess of 150,000 tonnes per annum, post completion of phase 2.

BIAL notes that these investments are timed to support the next stage of India’s economic growth.

BIAL’s chief strategy and development officer, Satyaki Raghunath, said: “With this partnership, BLR will be able to offer more modern and efficient facilities to our customers.
“With these improvements, we are confident about being able to grow our cargo volumes and services even more rapidly to meet demand.”

While Barry Nassberg, WFS’ group chief commercial officer, said: “Few airports in the world combine the growth generators we see in Bengaluru, making this long-term partnership with BIAL a big step in our expansion in Asia.

“This is a premier airport that understands its potential and recognises the way to achieve its growth ambitions is to work with an industry-leading global partner like WFS.

“Together, BIAL and WFS will work to sustain growth in the long-term and to achieve the airport’s goal of creating a robust ecosystem that can cater for up to one million tonnes of cargo a year.”