Ground handler Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) has expanded its cargo handling operations at Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport to accommodate new contracts with Lufthansa and Swiss WorldCargo.
WFS has acquired the lease on a further 3,600 m² of warehouse capacity in Johannesburg, purchased additional cargo handling equipment and increased its workforce.
The company expects to handle some 23,000 tonnes per annum for the two airlines, which have both signed three-year handling agreements. The new contracts will make WFS the second-largest cargo handler in Johannesburg, it said.
Last year, WFS also built a new 350 m² pharma facility at OR Tambo, which has since gained GDP accreditation for the handling of temperature-controlled healthcare products.
Lufthansa uses both Airbus A380 and B747-800 aircraft between Johannesburg and Frankfurt, while Swiss WorldCargo’s flights to Zurich are operated by Boeing 777-300ERs.
Malcolm Tonkin, general manager of cargo (South Africa) at WFS, said: “This is another important step towards achieving WFS’ growth and development strategy for South Africa, albeit during challenging times. The added capacity, equipment and staff give us a platform to expand and increase our footprint in Johannesburg as we emerge from the pandemic.”
