by supplychainreport
Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) has secured a major lease agreement following a competitive tender for a new, purpose-built air cargo facility at London Heathrow Airport (LHR), representing a positive investment in the UK’s air freight infrastructure.
The 11,000m² facility, located on Southampton Road in the heart of Heathrow’s cargo area, is scheduled to become fully operational in 2027. Designed to handle more than 160,000 tonnes of cargo annually, the site will enhance operational efficiency and support a wide range of specialised shipments, including pharmaceuticals, perishables, express freight and dangerous goods, as well as outsize cargo such as vehicles and aircraft engines.
The new development is expected to create up to 100 jobs, contributing to local employment and skills development.
The investment aligns with continued growth in cargo volumes at Heathrow. In 2024, the airport handled 1.58 million tonnes of cargo valued at £215.6bn, reinforcing its position as the UK’s largest port by value. WFS also recorded a 28% increase in cargo volumes at Heathrow during the first half of 2025, driven by new customer contracts and organic growth.
The 20-year lease strengthens WFS’s position as the largest cargo handler at Heathrow. The company currently operates eight facilities at the airport, covering nearly 44,000m², and handles more than 350,000 tonnes of cargo annually for 12 major airlines.
WFS said the new facility will provide the additional capacity needed to support existing customers while enabling the company to expand services for new airline partners. The announcement follows the recent renewal of WFS’s cargo handling partnership with Saudia Cargo across eight international air freight hubs.
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